: Amidst the perceived alienation of Dalits from Hindutva ideology due to the ongoing Dalit agitation in Gujarat and its possible implications on the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to have lunch at a Dalit household.
During his four-day stay (August 20-24) in Agra, Mr. Bhagwat is expected to have lunch at Rajendar Singh's house on August 24.
Mr. Singh, who owns a shoe factory in Agra, is an old RSS hand.
But Keshav Dev Sharma, the local RSS spokesperson, told The Hindu that there was no particular intention behind Bhagwat’s proposed lunch at the Dalit household.
‘Old tradition’“It is political people who go to a Dalit house to show it to the media. We, in the RSS, do not ask for caste. The lunch programme of Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwatji is as per old tradition. Caste was not the factor behind the lunch,” Sharma told The Hindu .
“Only the Sangh not only says but also practices the principle of equality and brotherhood.
“In the past, we have accepted bread from nearby villages. People belonging to all castes and classes had participated at that time. We would be happy if people learn from the Sarsanghchalak’s lunch programme,” he added.
