If Hindus think Muslims have no place, they cease to be Hindus: Mohan Bhagwat in New York
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat addresses the ‘One World One Humanity’ faith leaders conference in New York, USA, Saturday, August 29, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday (August 29, 2026) that Hindutva cannot imagine a Bharat (the name it uses for India) without Muslims and argued that a person who believes that Muslims should have no place in the country would cease to be a Hindu.
Speaking at an event in New York where he spoke to leaders from various communities and religions, Mr Bhagwat said Muslims had asked him during a dialogue with him about the RSS’s vision of a “Hindu Rashtra” and whether Muslims would be driven out of the country. “I said, no, that is not Hindutva. If any Hindu thinks there should be no Muslims in Bharat, he will not remain a Hindu,” he said.
Mr. Bhagwat emphasized that though people may follow different religions, humanity remains one. “We live in a society where religions may be different but humanity is one,” he said, adding that India’s tradition was to provide shelter to people regardless of their religious identity.
He also cited the service activities of the RSS to underline his claim that the organization does not discriminate on the basis of religion. According to him, RSS volunteers are running about 1.3 million service projects with the help of the company.
Recalling the incident in Dadri, Haryana, where two planes from Muslim-majority countries collided, Mr. Bhagwat said RSS volunteers were among the first to reach the site. Because all the passengers died, volunteers helped arrange burials and assisted relatives in identifying the victims, he said.
“We don’t think they are Muslims,” Mr. Bhagwat said, referring to the RSS volunteers’ approach to help and service.
He said the organization’s approach was based on the belief that “we” and “our” should replace a narrow focus on “I” and “mine.” “Where there is ‘I’ and ‘mine’ there is no solution. ‘We’ and ‘our’ is the solution,” he said.
Mr. Bhagwat also mentioned the RSS’s dialogue with members of minority communities and said the organization has become more engaged with Muslims and Christians in Bharat after 2018. “Dialogue is the first step and service is the next step,” he said.
Citing the example of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the RSS chief said the spiritual master practiced various religious traditions, including Islam and Christianity. He quoted him as saying, “So many roads, so many thoughts. They all lead to one path.”
Mr. Bhagwat said that the idea of oneness of mankind is enshrined in the traditional thinking of India as well as in the Constitution. He argued that social change cannot be achieved through politics alone and called for grassroots initiatives based on selfless service, dialogue and unity.
“Things cannot be achieved through politics alone. I am sorry to say this but the fact is that politics has now become a game of vested interests. Our experience in India is that we have to start with the society and we have started,” he said.
Published – 30 Aug 2026 01:28 IST