From the annual budget of the organisation to if it proactively condemns violence against other communities, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale fielded several questions from journalists working for foreign publications in India during an informal interaction in Delhi on Monday.
This was second physical meeting of top RSS functionaries with a group of foreign correspondents in India. Chief Mohan Bhagwat attended the first such informal meeting in 2019.
A journalist who attended the Monday event quoted Mr. Hosabale as saying that in RSS all funds come from the people. He also reportedly said that the organisation strongly condemns any kind of violence and that Muslims are not outsiders in India and even Muslims in Pakistan and Bangladesh have the same DNA.
There were moments of humour too. When a journalist pointed out that the government went ahead with the Air India sale despite the opposition of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the RSS’s labour wing,
Mr. Hosabale reportedly retorted, “See, we told you, we don’t decide for the government. We have been saying this forever.” Asked about women’s participation in the organisation, another attendee quoted him as saying that the RSS can’t run without women.
Sunil Ambekar, publicity in-charge of the RSS, said the interaction with 50-plus journalists lasted around two hours with the first 20 minutes devoted to explaining the ideology and work of the organisation.
