New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said that India has to grow up and if common people make a little effort, the dream of ‘Akhand Bharat’ will be realized in 8-10 years.
Speaking at a gathering of seers in Haridwar on Wednesday, Bhagwat, as quoted by news agency PTI said, “Bharat ko ab bada hona hi hai….Dharma ka utthan hi Bharat ka utthan hai…Bharat jo apne utthan ki patri pe chal pada hai usko paaye bina ab rukna nahin hai. Isko rokne wale ya toh hat jayengae ya mit jayengae….yeh nahin rukne wala. Yeh aisi gadi hai iska accelerator hai break nahin hai (India has to now grow big. The rise of ‘Dharma’ is the rise of India. There’s no stopping India, which has launched itself on the track of rise and upliftment. Those who try to stop it will either step aside of be eliminated. This is a vehicle which has an accelerator but no brakes).”
“People say it may take 20-25 years, but from my experience I think it will be realized in the next 8-10 years. For this the whole society has to work together,” Bhagwat said. We will talk about it. We walk on non-violence with sticks in our hands. There is no enmity in our mind, but the world accepts power. So we should have that power which is visible.”
Till a few years ago, BJP’s ally Shiv Sena had welcomed Bhagwat’s comments, saying that before realizing the goal of ‘Akhand Bharat’, the saffron party should take control of Pakistan and rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley.
Shiv Sena spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut said, “First take Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), then take over Pakistan from a united India, then Afghanistan… (or) the area you think that were part of India. No one has stopped you. This is the wish of the country. But before that, give Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar. You must work on Akhand Hindustan, but before that ensure the return of Kashmiri Pandits. Let it happen with dignity.”
Raut also hailed Bhagwat as a respected figure for Shiv Sena and said that his idea of ’Akhand Bharat’ is commendable.
Meanwhile, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi took a jibe at Bhagwat, saying, “Who stopped you from making a united India in eight years? And what will happen in the next 15 years? What is Akhand Bharat? Does he (Bhagwat) realize that it includes Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Chinese occupied territories?
Taking a dig at the RSS chief, Owaisi said instead of talking about Akhand Bharat, Bhagwat should raise the issue of Indian territory currently occupied by China.
In light of Bhagwat’s statement, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil said that India is still united and there should be no attempt to break it.
Responding to the RSS chief’s remarks, Patil said, “India is a country where people of different castes and religions live together. India is and will remain unified even today. No one should try to disintegrate it.” “