A letter purportedly written on the letterhead of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is being circulated on social media to claim that the RSS, which is the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is asking Hindu men to lure Muslim women with the objective of converting them.
What's in the letter?: The 12-point letter details how Hindu men should first befriend Muslim women and then manipulate them to leave Islam and accept Hinduism. It stresses on conversion through conversations about religion, physical intimacy to gain their trust.
The letter also mentions that if anybody wants to convert Muslim women, they can "join a 15-day training course by the Sangh." The said statement has been marked to other organisations like the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Samaj, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Sena, and Hindu Yuva Vahini.
But the letter is FAKE!
We looked for older letters issued by the RSS and found several discrepancies in the format and even the logo.
Has the RSS said anything?: RSS' Sunil Ambedkar took to Twitter and said that the letter circulating on social media is fake.
And what were the discrepancies, you said?: A quick look at the older tweets by RSS' official Twitter handle led us to some older letters.
What's also worth mentioning is that the older letters are both undersigned and also carry a date. But the viral one is undated and has no signatures from an RSS leader.
The earlier letters carry a date and are undersigned.
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
Anything else that you noticed?: Yeah, although it could be considered a typing error, but it's worth mentioning. 'Point 4' in the viral letter misspelt message (मैसेज) as massage (मसाज).
And even in the past, we have debunked such letters that have gone viral in the name of the RSS. You can read our stories here and here.
So, what do you think?: It's safe to say that the letter is fake, given all these errors, and discrepancies. And RSS has officially called it "fake", too.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)