RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday clarified the remarks made by the organisation's general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, which had initiated much conversation over the past month. Hosabale had called for keeping dialogue open with Pakistan.
In response to the discussions surrounding Hosabale's comment, the RSS chief said that the general secretary referred to the people of Pakistan. He added that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh does not have an independent international relations policy and aligns with the Union government's stance, Hindustan Times reported.
What did Dattatreya Hosabale say?
When asked about his opinion on how India should handle Pakistan and the state-sponsored terror of the neighboring nation in an interview with news agency PTI in May 2026, Hosabale replied that the opportunity of dialogue must be kept open while preserving India's national security.
He said, "The security and self-respect of a country have to be protected, and the government of the day should take care of it. But at the same time, we need not close the doors. We should always be ready to engage them in a dialogue".
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Mohan Bhagwat clarifies Hosabale's comment
In defence of Hosabale, Bhagwat said that several Pakistanis believe that the partition should have been averted, and many journalists in the neighbouring nation "praise" RSS's work.
"But there are a lot of people in Pakistan who believe the partition of Bharat was wrong, and many journalists there praise the RSS and its work. There is a distinct undercurrent there of people being anti-Pakistan and against the two-nation theory, and they say living together was better," Bhagwat said.
The Sarsanghchalak added that India is not like Hitler, and if Pakistan gets defeated by India, causing irreparable damage to the neighbour, then the people have to be brought under Bharat and let to live peacefully. For this, Bhagwat said, "the doors of dialogue need to be kept open".
The RSS chief also called for the annihilation of injustice and tyrannical forms of rule, and preservation of the "good" facets.
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FAQs:
1. What did Mohan Bhagwat clarify about Dattatreya Hosabale's remarks on Pakistan?
Bhagwat said Hosabale's comments referred to the people of Pakistan and not the Pakistani state.
2. Does the RSS have a separate foreign policy on Pakistan?
No, Bhagwat said the RSS does not have an independent international relations policy and follows the Union government's position.
