Nagpur: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday praised the Indian Army and the government for taking strong measures in the wake of the Uri terror attack, but differed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi by making a pitch for gau rakshaks.
Bhagwat’s statement at his annual Vijayadashami address was seen as an unequivocal endorsement of surgical strikes undertaken by the Army across the Line of Control in Kashmir amid a growing opposition chorus accusing the government of politicising the issue in the run up to the UP elections.
The RSS chief’s views on cow protection, that the “administration should not weigh the law-abiding citizens and anti-social elements on the same scale", seemed in contrast to PM Modi’s earlier statement that most of the cow vigilantes are anti-social elements masquerading as gau rakshaks.
In his ninety minute address at Reshimbagh Ground at RSS headquarters in Nagpur, the Sarsanghchalak delved for a good quarter on the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Further, upping the ante on Indo-Pak relations in the midst of the heightened tension, he asked the government of the day to not to compromise on the “principle that the whole of Kashmir”, including Pakistan occupied areas like “Mirpur, Muzzafarabad, Gilgit and Baltistan are inseparable and integral part of Bharat”.
However the RSS chief seemed to take a slightly different view on cow vigilantes and government's stated position on it.
Backing gau-rakshaks or cow-protection outfits Bhagwat said that in many states cow slaughter is prohibited and sometimes Gausewaks have to do active campaigns to ensure implementation of the law.
“While ensuring that the laws for the prevention of cow slaughter are flawlessly implemented and general law and order is also strictly maintained, administration should not weigh the law-abiding citizens and anti-social elements on the same scale,” he added striking a different note from Modi.
The prime minister in a statement earlier this year asked state governments to prepare a dossier on anti-social elements masquerading as “cow protectors”, while asserting that about 80 per cent of them would be found to be involved in illegal activities.
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Speaking on education, Bhagwat reiterated an earlier RSS resolution seeking education should not be for profit.
He added that the government of the day should take a relook at the proposed new–education policy proposed by a government constituted committee headed by former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian.
"It remains to be seen whether the recommendations of the committee are in sync with the wisdom of the educationists and activists in the education field.The blueprint of a suitable framework required to bring about a shift in the direction would be available then only, or else, the consensus would remain a mere pipedream." Bhagwat said indicating that the Sangh had some reservations of the recommendation made by the committee.
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