RSS chief takes swipe at Raj Thackeray on language issue

PUNE: In an obvious reference to the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the "extreme stance" taken by some politicians on language and other regional issues was totally uncalled for. Addressing a rally here, Bhagwat said, "All Indian languages are our languages. Regional issues are being flared up by politicians only to increase their vote-bank."

Without naming either Raj Thackeray or MNS, Bhagwat further said that social unity fell victim to such extreme positions. Questioning the logic behind stretching regional issues to such lengths, Bhagwat said politicians are only interested in exploiting the situation for their own good. He also referred to the Cauvery water dispute to show how regional issues were being kept alive for narrow gains and expressed concern over the government not doing enough to prevent infiltration of people from across the borders.

Stating that the RSS stood for the unity of the people and that it respected their diversities, Bhagwat said the philosophy of Hindutva alone could help people come together. "The world today is faced with serious problems and only Hindutva can provide answers to these problems. It's Hindutva which believes in the world as one family," he added. Hindutva, he said, was the identity of the country.