RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said India is already a Hindu nation and does not need constitutional approval
Bhagwat said whether or not Parliament amends the Constitution to include the term makes no difference
He rejected claims that the RSS is anti-Muslim, saying the organisation is transparent and nationalist in outlook
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday, December 21, 2025, asserted that India is inherently a Hindu nation. He said no constitutional recognition is required to affirm this identity, which he described as a cultural and civilisational truth.
Speaking at a programme titled ‘100 Vyakhyan Mala’, organised to commemorate 100 years of the RSS in Kolkata, Bhagwat said the country’s character as a Hindu nation would endure as long as its cultural heritage and ancestral traditions continue to be respected, ANI reported.
Drawing an analogy, he said certain realities do not require formal endorsement. “The sun rises in the east; we don’t know since when this has been happening. So, do we need constitutional approval for that too?” he asked. India’s identity, Bhagwat argued, is rooted in its long-standing civilisational ethos. According to him, anyone who regards India as their motherland and honours Indian culture is part of that tradition. As long as even one person on Indian soil continues to value the legacy of the country’s ancestors, he said, India remains a Hindu nation. “Hindustan is a Hindu nation,” he asserted.
Bhagwat said the Sangh does not attach importance to whether Parliament chooses to amend the Constitution to include the term “Hindu nation.” He maintained that such a change would neither validate nor alter what he described as an existing reality. He also clarified that Hindutva, as understood by the RSS, does not endorse caste hierarchies based on birth. “The caste system based on birth is not the hallmark of Hindutva,” he said.
The RSS chief reiterated the organisation’s long-held view that India’s cultural foundations and the civilisational continuity of the majority community define the nation’s character. He noted that the word “secular” was not part of the original Preamble of the Constitution and was introduced later through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment during the Emergency in 1976.
Addressing criticism of the organisation, Bhagwat said misconceptions portraying the RSS as anti-Muslim stem from misinformation and misleading campaigns. He said many people who have observed the organisation’s work recognise it as nationalist in outlook and committed to organising and safeguarding Hindu society, but not hostile towards Muslims. The RSS, he added, operates transparently and has nothing to conceal, and those willing to engage with its work are free to form opinions based on direct experience rather than hearsay.
He remarked that individuals unwilling to understand the organisation cannot be persuaded otherwise, adding that opinions should be shaped by facts rather than narratives or secondary sources. Bhagwat further stated that the RSS does not pursue a political agenda and claimed that opposition to the organisation has grown due to fears surrounding Hindu social consolidation.
Touching on cultural practices, he encouraged the use of mother tongues in daily life, urging people to prioritise indigenous languages over foreign ones in public and private spaces. He said preserving language and culture was essential to maintaining India’s civilisational identity and strengthening social cohesion.
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