'Came as aggressors but still thrive...': RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comment in Toronto

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, who was in Canada's Toronto, said that India has always offered asylum to outsiders, even after they came as “aggressors.” The RSS ideologue said that Hindus respect and accept all religions and that's why even those who came as aggressors "thrive" today. He went on to say that India is home to Muslims, Christians, Jews and Parsis. Bhagwat remark came after he faced criticism from Zohran Mamdani, New York's first Indian-American and Muslim mayor and many of his supporters.

"Many came to Bharat from outside as aggressors, but they still thrive there, with all their specialties intact. They are now Bharatiya citizens. Muslims are there, Christians are there. Jews are there in small numbers because many migrated from Israel. Parsis are there. Many people come to Bharat for asylum," said Bhagwat. The RSS leader said if someone was persecuted anywhere in the world, the person was given asylum by India.

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Bhagwat was speaking at an event titled ‘Hindu Vishwa Bandhu - Embrace the World in Friendship’. The RSS chief also hailed India's rise: “One may call Bharat a superpower, but it was not one. It served the world and by its own character, it became 'Vishwaguru', not Mahashakti. While individuals in the material world may differ in body, shape, and complexion, in essence, we are all one. Therefore, serving others is our duty. We have gained this wisdom, which brings us enduring happiness and lasting contentment.” He argued that diversity does not undermine unity in India; rather, the country’s traditions view diversity itself as an expression of underlying unity. "This is our tradition, the DNA of Bharat. That is why you may have heard the saying—'If Hindus awaken, the world awakens'. They regard both the animate and the inanimate as their own. They have been taught to see unity in diversity. That is why diversity never poses a problem for unity in India; our tradition teaches us that not only is there unity in diversity, but diversity itself is a form of unity," said Bhagwat.

Also Read: 'No Hindu should think there should be no Muslim', says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

Earlier in the US, Bhagwat stressed religious amity while speaking at a multi-faith dialogue in New York on Saturday, directly addressing a question he's been asked repeatedly in the past, "What about Muslims?", in the context of the organisation's Hindu-nationalist outlook. "If you want to call yourself Hindu, you must believe that all paths are leading to the same (goal). And every human has dignity. There is no difference between human beings," Bhagwat said.