Says "Never Shall the Twain Meet", Accuses RSS of Undermining India's Diversity
Hyderabad, May 18 — AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has dismissed recent conciliatory remarks made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat as “cheap talk” and “hypocritical”, asserting that the Hindutva organisation seeks to destroy the country’s diversity and pluralism.In a sharp response during an interview on Saturday, the Hyderabad MP said Bhagwat's comments about Hindu-Muslim unity were disingenuous. Bhagwat had stated that the DNA of Hindus and Muslims is the same and advised against looking for Shivlings under every mosque — a reference to ongoing legal disputes over the origins of certain Mughal-era mosques.
Owaisi countered, “You may be making these conciliatory statements but it is your own people who are doing this tamasha. If you think they are wrong, why are you not stopping them?”
He pointed to the many cases being filed in courts across the country, challenging the origins of centuries-old mosques, and questioned whether those behind such actions were not followers of the RSS. “Are all these people who are going to courts and filing cases not Mohan Bhagwat's acolytes?” he asked.
"Proof of the Pudding Is in the Eating"
When it was suggested that Bhagwat may be attempting to rein in such elements, Owaisi retorted, “Make them stop. That means they are not listening to you. Are you helpless to stop them? No, that’s also not so. It is in your control. It is happening on your orders. It is happening with your acquiescence.”He also highlighted that shortly after Bhagwat’s remarks, another senior RSS figure contradicted them, suggesting an intentional campaign of confusion. “This is the theory of confusion of RSS. Bhagwat’s statements are hypocritical. This is just cheap talk, loose talk, meant to send a message to America or Gulf Muslim countries,” he said.
No Desire to Engage with RSS Chief
Asked whether he would consider meeting Bhagwat to seek clarification, Owaisi firmly declined. “I am not anxious to meet him. (Mere pet me dard nahi hai),” he quipped.He accused the RSS of aiming to create a theocratic state, stating, “RSS wants to destroy this country’s pluralism and diversity. This has been said often by their leaders — whether it is Dr Hedgewar, Golwalkar, Deoras, Bhagwat or Rajju Bhaiya.”
“Them and us are the two shores of the sea. How can they come together? Never can the Twain meet. RSS is an ideological creature. RSS will never give up its ideology,” Owaisi concluded.
Despite his party's limited electoral strength — with only seven MLAs in Telangana's 119-member Assembly and a lone seat in Parliament — Owaisi continues to be a prominent voice defending Muslim rights, often challenging not only the BJP and RSS but also opposition parties.
