Lucknow: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said Muslims living in India are Hindus and advocated their ghar wapsi, adding that the process should happen gradually.
Addressing a meeting in Lucknow, Bhagwat said Muslims in India did not come from Arab lands and were part of the country’s civilisational roots. He said any effort towards social integration should move forward step by step and with mutual understanding.
The RSS chief also expressed concern over the declining population growth rate among Hindus and said families should have at least three children. He said the current population replacement rate of 2.1 was inadequate and urged newly married couples to plan for larger families.
On the controversy surrounding University Grants Commission guidelines, Bhagwat said the rules were not targeted against any community. He said the government frames laws and those who disagree should place their objections through constitutional channels. The matter, he said, is pending before the Supreme Court and the law framed by the government must be followed.
Using an analogy, Bhagwat said that if one person has fallen into a pit, they must extend a hand to come out, while the person standing outside must bend and offer help. He said social harmony would be possible only when both sides made an effort.
Bhagwat also voiced concern over society being divided along caste lines and said people should not remain trapped in caste identities. He said efforts had been underway for decades to eliminate caste divisions, but the problem continued to persist.
The RSS chief is on a two-day visit to Lucknow on February 17 and 18. On the first day, he attended a social harmony meeting at Saraswati Shishu Mandir auditorium in Nirala Nagar. The meeting, which lasted around two and a half hours, saw Bhagwat respond to questions from people belonging to different sections of society on issues related to social cohesion.