The head of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Mohan Bhagwat said on 8 October that the RSS volunteers do not get involved and instead try to stop violence of any sort. Addressing the foundation day celebrations of RSS at Maharashtra's Nagpur added that RSS volunteers were trained to remain within the limits of Constitution even during provocative situations.
The National Council of Churches in India has condemned the reported misquoting of the Bible by Mohan Bhagwat to justify “mob lynching”. General Secretary of the Council Rev Asir Ebenezer in a statement said that the comment had the potential to divide communities along religious lines.
“This misrepresentation has created suspicion among the people and has humiliated the Christian minority. We appeal all people not to be carried away by such misrepresentation or misinterpretation which are often done with political intentions,” said Rev Ebenezer.
RSS is the ideological force behind India’s ruling nationalistic Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a functionary of it before plunging into active politics. Bhagwat has substantial influence on the BJP government.
At a recent press interaction with international media, Dr Bhagwat said that if any volunteer of the organisation was found guilty (of mob lynching), RSS would disown him and the law should take its own course.
RSS is the largest voluntary organisation in the world with four million regular volunteers. Its educational wing – Vidya Bharati runs one of the largest private networks of schools in India – 12,000 schools with 32 million students. Its volunteers, spread out through 55,000 primary units, are also involved in rescue and relief operations during natural disasters.
