Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday criticised the BJP following comments by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat advocating that channels of dialogue with Pakistan should remain open.
Raut questioned whether BJP leaders would now brand Bhagwat as "Pakistani", referring to past instances when political opponents were allegedly targeted over their views on engagement with Pakistan.
"Will BJP minister Nitesh Rane now call Mohan Bhagwat Pakistani?" Raut asked while reacting to the RSS chief's remarks.
Defending RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, Bhagwat had clarified that Hosabale's earlier comments about keeping communication channels open with Pakistan were made in the context of the Pakistani people and not the country's establishment.
He also reiterated that the RSS does not have an independent foreign policy and aligns itself with the Centre's position on matters concerning Pakistan.
Responding to Bhagwat's comments, Raut said Shiv Sena (UBT) had never deviated from its stand on dealing firmly with Pakistan. "If the Sangh is saying that talks should continue, then why did they kill Mahatma Gandhi?" Raut alleged.
He further claimed that those who criticised others for advocating restraint had themselves retreated during military action. "The day India backed out of Operation Sindoor due to pressure from the international community, they became Pakistani," Raut alleged.
Speaking at an event, Bhagwat said several people in Pakistan believed that the partition of India should never have taken place. According to him, many Pakistani journalists also appreciated the work carried out by the RSS.
"There are a lot of people in Pakistan who believe the partition of Bharat was wrong. Many journalists there praise the RSS and its work. There is a distinct undercurrent of people being against the two-nation theory and believing that living together was better," Bhagwat said.
The RSS chief added that if India were to decisively defeat Pakistan in the future, it would either have to integrate the people of Pakistan into India's fold or allow them to live peacefully in their own country. "We are not like Hitler. That is not our nature or our way. So we need to keep some doors open. We should vanquish injustice and tyranny, but we should also preserve what is good," Bhagwat said.
However, Bhagwat stressed that the RSS does not formulate an independent foreign policy and supports the government's official stance on international affairs, including its approach towards Pakistan.
