India
‘Who’s listening? Modi?’: Kapil Sibal responds to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comments – Times of India
Kapil Sibal responds to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s call for social harmony.
Bhagwat, in the presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and former Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) chief K Sivan, spoke on social and cultural harmony during his address at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on the occasion of Dussehra.
In his speech, Bhagwat said, “Our diversity has become such that we have divided even our saints and gods. Why should Valmiki Jayanti be celebrated only in Valmiki Colony? Valmiki wrote Ramayana for the entire Hindu society. So everyone should celebrate Valmiki Jayanti and Ravidas Jayanti together. All festivals should be celebrated together by the entire Hindu society. We go to society with this message.”
“This task cannot be accomplished by merely organizing a few symbolic programs. There should be friendship between individuals and families in all walks of life. Wherever I go and wherever I work, I must have friends among all kinds of people. Languages may be diverse, cultures may be diverse, food may be diverse, but this friendship of individuals and families will bring harmony to society,” he added.
Reacting to his speech a day later, Kapil Sibal, senior lawyer and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, quoted Mohan Bhagwat’s message on .. language can be diverse, cultures can be diverse, food can be diverse, but friendship…will bring them together. Who is listening Modi?
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also criticized Bhagwat’s comments, saying the RSS “supports the party that wants division in the country.”
Bhagwat had also spoken about ‘wokeism’ and ‘cultural Marxists’. He said these groups aim to destroy cultural traditions by influencing social institutions such as the education system and the media.
“Words like ‘Deep State’, ‘Wokeism’ and ‘Cultural Marxist’ are in discussion today. In fact, they are the declared enemies of all cultural traditions. Complete destruction of values, traditions and anything considered virtuous and promising is part of this group’s modus operandi. The first step of this modus operandi is to bring under the influence the mind-shaping systems and institutions of society – e.g. education system and the educational institutions, the media, the intellectual discourse, etc. and thereby destroy the thoughts, values and beliefs of the society,” Bhagwat said.
