The Sangh is aware that short-term hatred will attract international scrutiny and could derail its long-term plan to establish a Hindu Rashtra.
On June 3, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat made a startling statement challenging the apparent desire of Hindutva supporters to find deities
that sparked a lot of speculation.
A few people rushed to welcome Bhagwat’s remarks, which alluded to the standoff at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, where a court-appointed surveyor reported that an oval object had been found in the tank of the Muslim shrine. Hindu petitioners claim it represents Shiva as a Shivling. However, Muslims claim that it is actually a fountain.
However, sceptics are wondering about the real intention of Bhagwat’s statement, coming at a time when Hindutva fronts are leading a heated campaign to dig up the graves of history to lay claim to Muslim monuments they claim were built on the ruins of destroyed Hindu structures.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is known for hinting at its future plans and campaigns. The aim is never to derail Hindutva campaigns.
Bhagwat’s assertions seemed to defy this tradition. In fact, he appeared to detach the Sangh from all attempts to lay claim to mosques.
