MF Hussein should apologize: Mohanji Bhagwat

Painter MF Hussein should tender apologies for hurting the sentiments of Indians (for his paintings depicting Hindu gods obscenely), RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat said. Responding to questions on granting of citizenship to the painter by Qatar, Bhagwat told newsmen here on Thursday that the Sangh had never made any comments on Hussein.

Stating that freedom of expression was not limitless in a democracy, he said nobody had the right to hurt others’ sentiments. “You should respect the sentiments of Indians if you are an Indian. One should not hurt the sentiments of other sections,” Bhagwat said, adding the Sangh would neither oppose nor welcome Hussein into the country.

The RSS chief said that Hindus could never be terrorists and the general sentiment of Hindus was always against extremism. Hindu organizations were against extremism but this was not the case with some other religions, he said. Referring to the India-Pakistan foreign secretary-level talks, Bhagwat said there was no meaning in discussions with Pakistan unless and until that country changed its mindset.

He opposed the idea of reservations on the basis of religion, saying this was against the Constitution. He also said that his organization did not accept the Rangnath Mishra commission recommendations. Bhagwat was in Kerala for taking part in Wednesday’s State RSS conference, Pranth Sanghik 2010, at Kollam in which over 100,000 fully uniformed Swayamsevaks participated.

On the sensitive issue of RSS-CPI(M) clashes in Kannur, which had claimed hundreds of lives of workers from both sides over the past three decades, the Sarsanghchalak said his organization would welcome anyone taking initiative to end such conflicts. “The RSS has always taken initiative for the cause of peace,” he said. He termed incidents like Malegaon blasts as aberrations, adding the RSS had no links with outfits like Sriram Sene.

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