Bhagwat: Row meaningless

Dismissing the controversy created over former President Pranab Mukherjee’s acceptance of the RSS invite to be the chief guest at its headquarters at Nagpur, Sangh supremo Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the controversy was meaningless as both the Sangh and Dr Mukhejee will remain the same. Addressing the gathering, including Dr Mukherjee, RSS office bearers and the volunteers completing the third year of training programme, Mr Bhagwat said that his organisation works for the better for the nation and India’s tradition is unity in diversity.

Dismissing the controversy created over former President of India Pranab Mukherjee’s acceptance of the RSS invite to be the chief guest at its headquarters at Nagpur, Sangh supremo Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the controversy was meaningless as both the Sangh and Dr Mukheree will remain the same.

“We invited him and he accepted our invitation. How he was invited and where he is going is all meaningless),” said Mr Bhagwat adding that it was RSS’s tradition to invite people not ascribing to its ideology and said the RSS was grateful to learn something from him.

“The Sangh is the Sangh. Pranab Mukherjee will be Pranab Mukherjee. Attending RSS event won’t change his ideology,” said Mr Bhagwat adding that the former president was a man of intellect and experience.

Asserting that the RSS does not discriminate against anyone, Mr Bhagwat said every citizen born in India is an Indian and the RSS wants to unify the entire society. “We embrace all, we are not just for one section. RSS believes in unity in diversity. Every citizen born in India is an Indian. There have been debates about Mr Mukherjee attending the event but we do not consider anyone different from ourselves. We Indians are one,” he said.