Do not agree with Bhagwat’s ‘all are Hindus’ view, says Athawale

‘Hindus are the majority, but there are also Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Jains’

Ramdas Athawale

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday said he disagreed with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s assertion that all 130 crore people living in India are Hindus.

Speaking in Hyderabad on Thursday, Mr. Bhagwat had said that the RSS considered the entire population of India as Hindu society, irrespective of people’s individual religions and culture.

Mr. Athawale, a Dalit leader who heads the Republican Party of India, a constituent of the NDA, told

PTI that he did not agree with Mr. Bhagwat. “If it is said that the RSS considers everyone Indian (instead of Hindu) and we are all united, I can understand. Hindus are the majority community, but there are also Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Dalits, and Backward Classes. All of us are one and united as Indians,” he said.

At one time Buddhism was a dominant religion in many countries, including India, he said, adding, “Should we (then) say all of us are Buddhists?”