RSS Chief Bhagwat Says Nationalism Has Nazi Links, Cong Lashes Out

Words like ‘nation’, ‘nationality’ were acceptable but ‘nationalism’ has links to Nazism, Bhagwat was told.

Speaking at the ‘Sangh Samagam' organised at Moharbadi in Ranchi, Jharkhand, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that he was once advised to not use the word 'nationalism' as it has connotations of Nazism. Reacting to his comments, the Congress on Friday, 21 February, lashed out at the BJP and the Sangh Pariwar.

Narrating an anecdote of his visit to the UK, Bhagwat said that he was advised by an RSS volunteer there to be careful about the words he used. "I was on a visit to the UK. A karyakrata advised me not to used the word nationalism as English is not our language and it could have a different meaning in England," PTI quoted Bhagwat as saying. "It's okay to say nation, national and nationality but not nationalism. Because it means (alludes to) Hitler, Nazism and Fascism (in England)," he added.

#WATCH Ranchi: RSS chief recounts his conversation with an RSS worker in UK where he said "...'nationalism' shabd ka upyog mat kijiye. Nation kahenge chalega,national kahenge chalega,nationality kahenge chalgea,nationalism mat kaho. Nationalism ka matlab hota hai Hitler,naziwaad. pic.twitter.com/qvibUE7mYt

— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2020

"Problems of radicalism, environment and the belief that one is right while the rest are wrong are the basic issues disturbing world peace," Bhagwat also said at the event, adding that only India could find solutions to these problems. "And the world waits for India, so India has to become a great nation."

The RSS chief motivated RSS members to connect with everyone, irrespective of caste, language, religion or region, in harmony with the Indian value of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is a family).

Congress Slams Bhagwat for Remarks

The Congress on Friday, attacked the BJP and the Sangh Pariwar over Bhagwat's remarks, saying if they would have understood Mahatma Gandhi's nationalism then the need for distancing themselves from nationalism would not have arisen.

Taking to Twitter with two tweets and a video, Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "Dear Bhagwat ji, today the Sangh Pariwar and the BJP have distanced themselves from nationalism. Now you are saying that nationalism means Hitler's rule and fascism."

"We wish, if the BJP and the Sangh Pariwar would have understood and adopted the nationalism of Gandhi ji, then there would not have been a need to distance themselves from nationalism," he said.

आदरणीय भागवत जी,

काश गाँधीजी का राष्ट्रवाद भाजपा व संघ परिवार समझ लेते तो राष्ट्र और राष्ट्रवाद से किनारा करने की नौबत नही आती।

दो बार मोदीजी ने राष्ट्रवाद की दुहाई दे सत्ता तो ले ली और अब राष्ट्रवाद से ही किनारा कर लिया।

सादर,
सभी भारतवासी। pic.twitter.com/Sj4So7dizC

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 21, 2020

आदरणीय भागवतजी,

2014 में सत्ता ली अच्छे दिन का वादा कर,
सत्ता आने पर अच्छे दिनों से किनारा कर लिया।

2019 में सत्ता ली राष्ट्रवाद की दुहाई देकर,
सत्ता आने पर अब राष्ट्रवाद से किनारा कर लिया

इसके विपरीत,
गांधीजी का राष्ट्रवाद समावेशी है,
संजोता है,
सत्य है,
करुणा है,
अहिंसा है। pic.twitter.com/8rcTcrJfH1

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 21, 2020

(With inputs from PTI)