Growing Intolerance: Hindu leader rebukes RSS chief over temple-mosque remarks
New Delhi: India’s escalating intolerance was brought to light as a significant disagreement unfolded between Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and influential Hindu leader Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya regarding the former’s comments on temple-mosque issues.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the dispute highlights the widening divides within India’s socio-religious landscape.
Swami Rambhadracharya rejected Bhagwat’s plea to move away from temple-mosque disputes, declaring, “Mohan Bhagwat is not our disciplinarian. His comments hold no sway over saints and seers.” The Swami criticized Bhagwat’s stance as misaligned with dharmic principles and championed a more traditionalist approach to such religious matters.
Bhagwat, in a recent public address, called for restraint and advocated harmony and mutual respect, asserting that revisiting temple-mosque controversies would not strengthen Hindu leadership. His statement, however, drew sharp criticism from even spiritual leaders like Rambhadracharya, who view these disputes as integral to the Hindu cultural and historical narrative.
The disagreement underscores rising tensions within India’s Hindu ecosystem, marked by conflicting interpretations of religion, identity, and politics. Analysts suggest this polarization reflects a broader trend of intolerance, deepening divisions both within communities and across ideological lines.
Observers caution that such conflicts risk aggravating societal fractures, as competing religious and political agendas overshadow efforts toward national unity.
