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Senior leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and Muslim assemblage held a dialog successful New Delhi connected Friday (January 16, 2026) successful which speakers underlined the request for unity, inclusion and bid portion discussing delicate issues specified arsenic the authorities of hatred and the relation of fringe elements successful society.
Organised by Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed, laminitis of the Inter Faith Harmony Foundation of India, the dialog league astatine India Islamic Cultural Centre was attended by RSS associated wide caput Krishna Gopal and the Sangh’s outreach in-charge Ramlal.
Incidentally, RSS main Mohan Bhagwat had launched Mr. Ahmed’s book The Meeting of Minds: A Bridging Initiative backmost successful 2021, which dwelled connected bridging perceived gaps betwixt Muslims and Hindus.
The Muslim assemblage was represented by erstwhile Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, erstwhile Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, retired Lieutenant General Zameeruddin Shah, societal activistic and governmental expert Shalini Ali, societal idiosyncratic Jasim Muhammad, NCPUL manager Shams Iqbal, Major Muhammad Shah Ali, among others.
In his address, Mr. Jung expressed interest implicit a caller code of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval successful which helium urged the younker successful India to “avenge India’s history”. He besides raised the contented of denial of bail to activistic Umar Khalid, accused successful a larger conspiracy lawsuit related to the North East Delhi riots successful 2020.
Why is PM soundless connected attacks?: Jung
Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s soundlessness during attacks connected minorities, demolitions of homes, and the dispersed of falsehoods, Mr. Jung termed specified incidents arsenic a substance of sedate interest for democracy. He besides pointed retired astir rewriting past successful schoolhouse textbooks, cattle vigilantism and spoke astatine magnitude connected respective burning issues pertaining to Muslims.
Lt. Gen. (retd.) Zameeruddin Shah besides raised issues similar societal media, cinema and right-wing “hooliganism” arsenic unsafe tools for spreading hatred against Muslims. He appealed to the RSS that if the organisation believes 20% of nine consists of fringe elements, they indispensable beryllium identified and restrained — due to the fact that “a azygous faulty portion tin jam an full machine”.
Addressing the gathering, RSS person Mr. Krishna Gopal said that fringe elements are not the occupation themselves, but symptoms of a deeper societal illness. Instead of lone confronting provocateurs, nine indispensable place and cure the underlying causes.
Referring to precocious Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s code astatine Aligarh Muslim University connected January 24, 1948, Mr. Gopal hailed him for placing nationalism supra religion arsenic it genuinely unites India.
On Umar Khalid’s bail status
Responding to Mr. Jung’s connection connected denial of bail to Umar Khalid, Mr. Ramlal said: “That is wherefore radical are lone talking astir denial of bail to Umar Khalid but not speaking astir [journalist] Mohammad Zubair who was fixed bail precise rapidly by the Supreme Court adjacent erstwhile his transgression was bigger.”
In 2022, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to Mohammed Zubair successful 8 transgression cases registered against him by the Uttar Pradesh Police successful antithetic districts connected hatred code charges.
Mr. Ramlal besides questioned the cognition that courts are influenced by the authorities and said that it is not close to bring the authorities and RSS into everything.
Refuting the allegations that RSS influences the BJP-led government, Mr. Ramlal said the Sangh Parivar ne'er has immoderate “say” adjacent successful the smallest decisions of the BJP. He added that the RSS ne'er asks anyone to ballot for immoderate party.
He besides refuted the allegations of a peculiar conception of nine that RSS lone supports BJP.
RSS’s connection to Congress
“Mai Congress ke logo se milta hu oregon kehta hu jab tak aap Sangh ko gali dete rahoge, hum BJP ko enactment karte rahenge... aapko enactment kaise karein... aap enactment mango to sahi. Sangh ki majburi aapne BJP bana di hai (I conscionable Congress members and archer them that arsenic agelong arsenic you support abusing the Sangh, we volition proceed to enactment the BJP… How tin we enactment you erstwhile you are not seeking our support? You support insulting us. You person made BJP a compulsion for Sangh),” Mr. Ramlal said, adding that “selective narratives” amusement the RSS successful atrocious light.
“News of Bajrang Dal members vandalising churches dispersed accelerated but facts that those hooligans were either suspended oregon terminated by Sangh agelong earlier they perpetrate specified a transgression ne'er marque it to news. They (hooligans) misuse our name....even erstwhile we clarify, we are criticised. You (Muslims) and RSS are connected aforesaid page. In your case, if 1 idiosyncratic does thing bad, the full assemblage is blamed. Same is with the Sangh. We are victims of aforesaid communicative building,” helium said adding that turning a fewer incidents into a “national crisis” is wrong.
