The RSS ideology has always been full of harmony, brotherhood and nationalism, and it was the propaganda by "Bharat bashing bridage" that had painted a negative picture of the Sangh, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Monday, a day after chief Mohan Bhagwat asserted that the DNA of all Indians is the same.
Naqvi said that in the past too, those in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), through their service to the people, did a lot of work for the unity of the society, but the 'gumrahi (misleading) gang', not only in India but in the world, always conspired to break the brotherhood and social fabric by creating hullabaloo about the Sangh.
"The beliefs and the thoughts of the Sangh have always been like this, full of harmony, brotherhood and nationalism. But on the one hand, there were the organization's views and on the other hand was the propaganda by its opponents," Naqvi told PTI but did not take any names.
The propaganda by opponents often prevailed over the actual views of the Sangh mainly because the organisation did not pay attention to these campaigns, he argued.
"For the past few years, the programmes of the Sangh are held publicly and one is able to see and understand their thoughts and their work," Naqvi said.
Now, when the positive image of the Sangh is before the people, the "painters of its negative image are a worried lot", the minister said when asked about the remarks of Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
Such people have been "exposed", Naqvi claimed.
Hitting out at Bhagwat, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said if he is true to his words, he must give directions that all those BJP leaders who have "harassed" innocent Muslims be removed from their posts, while Owaisi alleged that cowardice, violence and murder "are an integral part of Godse's Hindutva thinking" and the lynching of Muslims is also the result of that.
In his address at an event 'Hindustan first Hindustani best' organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch in Ghaziabad on Sunday, Bhagwat said the DNA of all Indians is the same, and urged muslims not to get "trapped in the cycle of fear" that Islam is in danger in India.
The RSS chief also took on those indulging in lynching, saying "Cow is a holy animal, but those involved in lynching are against Hindutva". Though at times, some "false cases" of lynching have been registered against some people, he said.
On lynchings and other such incidents, Naqvi said it is unfortunate that the "Bharat bashing brigade and misleading gang" have played a role in portraying criminal acts as communal incidents.
"A criminal incident is a criminal incident. Such an incident should not be projected as a communal incident. Action should be taken in such criminal incidents. Mohan Bhagwat has said the same thing," the Union minister said.
Asked about political interpretations being made over Bhagwat's remarks, Naqvi said, "I don't think this is done to please any community or any party. He has spoken what has always been the idea of ??the Sangh. This will provide clarity to those people in the society who were mired in confusion."
Asserting that it is not some image makeover or vote bank politics for the RSS to woo Muslims ahead of assembly elections, Bhagwat had said his organisation firmly believes that in a democracy like India, the only dominance can be of Indians, rather than of Hindus or Muslims.
