RSS will support reservation until beneficiaries feel it's no longer needed: Mohan Bhagwat

New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday asserted that the Sangh has been supporting reservation and will continue to do so until its beneficiaries feel it is no longer needed and they can stand on their own.

Responding to questions on the issue on the last day of his three-day lecture series here, Bhagwat stressed the need to end caste-based discrimination in society and said the RSS is working for this.

"The Sangh already supports the reservation provided as per the Constitution. It will always be there. And until the beneficiaries of the reservation feel that it is no longer needed, discrimination is over, and that they can stand on their own, we will support it," the RSS chief said.

He said the Sangh passed a resolution in favour of reservation when Balasaheb Deoras was the RSS chief.

Bhagwat said, “When the resolution was brought, there were completely different opposing views on this. Our then Sarsanghchalak (RSS chief) Balasaheb ji listened to the discourse during the entire session and said 'Imagine that you were born in the family of those people who have suffered the sting of caste discrimination for a thousand years and then speak in the next session'", Bhagwat said.

In the next session, the resolution in support of the reservation was passed “unanimously”, he added.

Bhagwat said the Sangh keeps making efforts to ensure that such weaker sections of society get the benefits of reservation.

“But when we do this, people say that RSS is doing it to increase the BJP's vote bank. This should not happen,” he added.

Bhagwat said RSS swayamsevaks firmly stand against atrocities committed against people belonging to the underprivileged sections.

“Wherever such things happen, swayamsevaks (RSS volunteers) should go there. They must stand up for truth and justice and ensure justice to the victims, and also see that such incidents do not lead to fights in society. All these are expected of volunteers,” he said, responding to a question about why the Sangh does not appear to be firmly standing against such atrocities.

“If this does not happen for any reason, then it is our fault. Bring it to the notice of local Sangh workers. It will be taken care of,” he added.

To a question on reference to the Varna system in the Manusmriti, Bhagwat said, “all the religious leaders” gathered in Karnataka’s Udupi city in 1972 said that there was no place for untouchability in Hindu scriptures.

"If there is any such reference, we do not accept it. Here (in India), whatever the people want, that happens. We don't follow what is written in the books and scriptures. That is why we don't have a single scripture. And people have interpreted the texts (of the scriptures) differently as per their convenience," he said.

The RSS chief said religious leaders in the country should think of creating a new smriti (scripture) which includes all the classes, sects, castes and sub-castes of the Indian society and teach a “practical conduct” for them.

Bhagwat said the RSS is making efforts to bring social harmony in the country.

“Everyone is part of society. There is no high or low. Everyone has equal respect. Everyone is our own. This feeling has to be awakened. That has to be done. The Sangh is doing it,” he said. PTI PK RHL