‘India Is A Hindu Nation’: Mohan Bhagwat Says Constitution Not Required For Approval

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat told an audience in Kolkata on Sunday that India is, and will remain, a Hindu nation, regardless of any formal wording in the Constitution. Bhagwat argued that this status comes from culture and history, not from legal approval.

Bhagwat also addressed criticism of the organisation, saying many people now see the RSS as nationalist and protective of Hindus, but not hostile to Muslims. Bhagwat urged those with doubts to directly observe RSS activities instead of relying on second-hand claims or long-held assumptions.

RSS Hindu nation Mohan Bhagwat Constitution

During the speech, Bhagwat repeated the long-standing RSS view that India is a "Hindu Nation" because of the country’s cultural roots and the majority’s link to Hindu traditions. The address also referred to the Preamble of the Constitution and how its wording changed in the 1970s.

Bhagwat highlighted that the word "secular" did not feature in the original Preamble adopted in 1950. It appeared later, along with "socialist", after the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976, was passed during the Emergency under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

He compared the RSS idea of India with something considered a constant feature of nature, saying, "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? Hindustan is a Hindu nation. Whoever considers India their motherland appreciates Indian culture, as long as there is even one person alive on the land of Hindustan who believes in and cherishes the glory of Indian ancestors, India is a Hindu nation. This is the ideology of the Sangh," he said at the '100 Vyakhyan Mala' program of RSS in Kolkata.

Bhagwat said the RSS does not depend on formal labels to define India’s identity. "If Parliament ever decides to amend the Constitution and add that word, whether they do it or not, it's fine. We don't care about that word because we are Hindus, and our nation is a Hindu nation. That is the truth. The caste system based on birth is not the hallmark of Hindutva," he added.

RSS Hindu nation Mohan Bhagwat Kolkata event

The remarks came at the '100 Vyakhyan Mala' lecture series in Kolkata, organised as part of the RSS centenary year. Bhagwat used the platform to invite citizens, including critics, to visit RSS offices and daily shakhas to understand the nature of its work at close range.

He said that misgivings about the RSS being anti-Muslim should be checked against what actually happens in these spaces. "If there is a perception that we are anti-Muslim, then, as I said, the RSS work is transparent. You can come anytime and see for yourself, and if you see anything like that happening, then you keep your views, and if you don't see it, then you change your views. There is a lot to understand (about RSS), but if you don't want to understand, then no one can change your mind," Bhagwat said.

Bhagwat added that many visitors revised their opinions after direct interaction with the organisation. "After seeing, people have said that you are staunch nationalists. You organise Hindus, and you advocate for the protection of Hindus. But you are not anti-Muslim. Many people have accepted this, and those who want to know more should come and see the RSS for themselves," he said.

Bhagwat’s comments in Kolkata linked the RSS idea of a Hindu nation with culture, ancestry and nationalism rather than constitutional language. The speech also revisited debates around the 42nd Amendment and the word "secular", while again challenging claims that the RSS is anti-Muslim.