Thiruvananthapuram: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has defended senior RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale’s remarks advocating dialogue with Pakistan, saying the comments were directed at the people of the neighbouring country rather than its establishment.
Speaking during an interactive session in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday as part of the RSS centenary celebrations, Bhagwat said the organisation follows the government of India’s policy on Pakistan and does not have an independent foreign policy.
Responding to questions about Hosabale’s remarks in an interview with PTI last month, Bhagwat said there were many people in Pakistan who believe the partition of India was a mistake and who appreciate the work of the RSS.
“There is a section there that opposes the two-nation theory and feels that living together was a better option,” he said.
Bhagwat added that if India were ever to decisively defeat Pakistan, it would still be necessary either to integrate the people there into the broader fold of Bharat or ensure they could live peacefully in their own country. “For that, the doors of dialogue need to remain open,” he said.
“We are not like Hitler. That is not our nature or our way. We should defeat injustice and tyranny, but also preserve what is good,” he added.
Reiterating that the RSS aligns itself with the Centre’s approach towards foreign affairs, Bhagwat said the organisation supports the government’s policy in dealing with Pakistan.
In his interview with PTI, Hosabale had said that while India’s security and self-respect must be protected and the government should act firmly against terrorism, channels of communication with Pakistan should not be shut completely.
“We should always be ready to engage them in dialogue,” Hosabale had said while responding to a question on how India should deal with Pakistan and its continued sponsorship of terrorism.
