Terrorism not linked to Hinduism: RSS chief- Oct 18, 2010,

Terrorism not linked to Hinduism: RSS chief

Ramu Bhagwat, TNN, Oct 18, 2010, 01.11am IST

NAGPUR: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the "golden opportunity" provided by the Allahabad High Court's Ayodhya verdict should not be lost and a massive Ram temple be built while castigating the government for raising the "bogey" of Hindu terrorism.

Speaking at RSS's annual Dussehra rally here, Bhagwat attacked critics of the judgment that upheld the Hindu claim to a temple saying this was an about-turn on their part. "They shamefully abandoned all concerns. Till 4 pm of September 30, they talked of respecting the court verdict and immediately after, they renewed their efforts to create fear and mistrust in society," he said.

While he knocked the Sangh Parivar's "secular" critics for anticipating a pro-mosque judgment, he said, "Now that the court has endorsed the belief that it was indeed the birthplace of Lord Ram... forgetting the past, let us all come together to build a massive temple at Ayodhya for Lord Ram who represents our national heritage and honour."

Bhagwat also made public his view that the matter should be resolved favourably out of court instead of further legal action in Supreme Court. But the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's decision to appeal the HC verdict, which has time barred the Muslim claim, points to certain litigation. The Nirmohi Akhara, one of the litigants awarded one-third of the disputed plot, has also said it will appeal the order.

Bhagwat's speech was an all-round critique of the Congress-led UPA with regard to its formulations on terrorism, J&K and Maoism. He had earlier reacted to the Ayodhya verdict saying it should not be seen as a win or a loss while saying it validated a temple. He reiterated the RSS commitment on Sunday to a massive temple rather than a modest one.

He also took an oblique shot at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comparison of RSS with SIMI, saying, "We will carry on our good work without bothering for any certificates."

Bhagwat's focus on "Hindu terror" was significant as the Sangh has seen a "conspiracy" to drag it into a terror net. Linking those opposed to a temple at Ayodhya to the attempts to "divide society", he said, "Due to these tendencies, a dangerous conspiracy is afoot to bring into vogue words like Hindu terror and saffron terror under the pretext that some Hindu individuals were allegedly involved in incidents of terror here and there."

Both BJP and RSS have attacked home minister P Chidambaram for his recent references to saffron terror and said the government was making such allegations to cover up its failures to curb terrorism. Perhaps worried about the political fallout of such statements, Congress spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi had said that there was no colour to terrorism which should not be so distinguished.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari was present at the three-hour function in trademark RSS outfit of a white shirt and oversize khaki shorts as Bhagwat said, "There is a sinister conspiracy to mislead Hindus through a campaign of lies and to defame Hindi saints, temples and organisations."

RSS has been perturbed by reports that some members of the Abhinav Bharat bombers had links to the Sangh and Bhagwat argued that Hinduism and terror were contradictory. "There is only one country left in the world on which you can't put the blame of terrorism and that is India. Terrorism and Hindus, terrorism and saffron, and terrorism and the Sangh are oxymorons," he said.

"This (effort to connect the two) is an attempt to weaken the strength of Hindus in India and, at the same time, to appease Muslims," he said. A handful of incidents involving Hindus were reported and to blame the entire Hindu community was improper and unjust, he added.

The speech, seen as an indicator of the RSS's Hindutva agenda and anticipated this time in the context of the Ayodhya verdict, saw Bhagwat referring to the Kashmir crisis about which he said, "The crisis in Kashmir has become serious and complicated since we neglected Baltistan and Gilgit which have become part of Pakistan. Now China is attempting to position its army in these regions."

Pointing to different stakeholders in J&K, Bhagwat said, "At the same time, it is imperative on our part to appreciate the feelings, needs and aspirations of various other sections like patriotic Muslims, Gujjar-Bakarwals, Shias, Sikhs and Hindus including Kashmiri Pandits and Buddhists. Displaced Pandits must return to their homes and dignity," he said.

Bhagwat said there was no need to talk to separatists and Pakistan-sponsored perpetrators of violence and stone-pelting, He also warned against withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Protection Act. The RSS chief also criticised the government for ignoring the patriotic people in north-eastern states and pandering to the wishes of the separatists and anti-national forces there.