RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat at 'Bharat of Future' Event: 'Congress Played Major Role in India's Independence Movement'

New Delhi, Sept 17: Addressing the 'Bharat of Future' event at Vigyan Bhawan today, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said the Congress should be credited for playing a "major role" in India's independence movement.

"There were selfless people associated with the Congress then, and some to even this date. At that time (pre-independence era), Congress emerged at the forefront of our agitation against the British rule," he said.

Reiterating the organisation's vision of a "Hindu Rashtra", Bhagwat said that "Hindutva" is the one force which unites the entire nation.

"To understand the RSS, it is essential to know Dr Hedgewar," Bhagwat said, referring to Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founding sarsanghchalak of the RSS.

"Dr Hedgewar believed that as a society we have forgotten our values, Hindutva binds is together. This was and is a Hindu Rashtra," he quipped.

"RSS is unique, beyond comparison," added Bhagwat, claiming that the Sangh has often been misunderstood by a section of the academia and intelligentsia. "Understanding the Sangh is not possible without understand our roots," he added.

According to Bhagwat, Hedgewar's pitched for inclusiveness while spearheading the ideology of Sangh. "He wanted to engage with people, not divide them," the RSS chief said, adding that the Sangh has the same vision event today. "We have gathered here to engage with people, not convince them," he added.

Ahead of the event, rumours were rife that the Sangh would issue an invitation to its arch nemesis - Congress chief Rahul Gandhi - as part of its outreach programme.

Leaders of the Congress had, however, said neither have they been invited nor would they accept the invitation from the RSS. "We are at ideological loggerheads with them," said senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said.

The RSS, however, claimed that it had issued an invite to a selected number of leaders from the Opposition camp, including former Tripura CM and CPI(M) veteran Manik Sarkar.

While the Opposition boycotted the event enmasse, members of the social and artistics fraternity attended the programme. Some of the prominent people in attendance, include actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui,  Manisha Koirala, Ravi Kishen and Annu Kapoor.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 17, 2018 07:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).