NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday took a dig at Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat‘s Vijayadashmi speech and asked if PM Modi is listening.
Bhagwat, in presence of Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and former Indian Space Reserarch Organisation (Isro) chief K Sivan, spoke on social and cultural harmony during his speech at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on the occasion of Dussehra.
In his address, Bhagwat said, “Our diversity has become such that we have even divided our saints and deities. Why should Valmiki Jayanti be celebrated only in Valmiki colony? Valmiki wrote Ramayana for the entire Hindu society. So, all should celebrate Valmiki Jayanti and Ravidas Jayanti together. All festivals should be celebrated together by the entire Hindu society. We will go to the society with this message.”
“This task cannot be accomplished by merely organising some symbolic programmes. In all sections of society, there should be friendship between individuals and families. Wherever I go and where I work, I should have friends among all kinds of people. Languages can be diverse, cultures can be diverse, food can be diverse, but this friendship of individuals and families will bring harmony in society,” he added.
Reacting to his speech a day after, Kapil Sibal, senior advocate and the president of Supreme Court Bar Association, quoted Mohan Bhagwat’s message on X and wrote, “All festivals should be celebrated together.. have friends among all kinds of people…language can be diverse, cultures can be diverse, food can be diverse but friendship…will bring them together. Who is listening? Modi? Others?”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also criticised Bhagwat’s remarks, stating that the RSS ‘supports the party which wants disunity in the country.’
Bhagwat had also spoken on ‘wokeism’ and ‘Cultural Marxists.’ He said these groups aim to destroy cultural traditions by influencing societal institutions such as the education system and media.
“Words like ‘Deep State’, ‘Wokeism’, ‘Cultural Marxist’ are in discussion these days. In fact, they are the declared enemies of all cultural traditions. Complete destruction of values, traditions and whatever is considered virtuous and auspicious is a part of the modus operandi of this group. The first step of this modus operandi is to bring the mind-shaping systems and institutions of the society under one’s influence – for example, the education system and educational institutions, media, intellectual discourse, etc., and to destroy the thoughts, values and belief of the society through them,” Bhagwat said.