RSS validating Jinnah, two nation theory: Author of Savarkar book

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Delhi University (DU) Political Science professor Shamsul Islam alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or the parent body of the BJP was out to destroy India, adding that the organisation had lent legitimacy to the founding father of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the two nation theory.

The two nation theory argues that Hindus and Muslims constitute two different nations.

The author made the comments after he released the Kannada translation of his book ‘Savarkar Unmasked’ in Bengaluru on Sunday.

The Kannada version of the book is named ‘VD Savarkar: Yelu Mithyagalu (seven myths)’.

The book is being published by Kriya Madhayama. Islam said that back in 2013, then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi had made telling comments to British news agency Reuters when he declared himself a Hindu nationalist rather than an Indian one.

“He makes two very interesting statements. When asked what is your identity, he says I’m a Hindu nationalist. What else? He says I’m groomed by Golwalkar (former RSS) to be a political leader. So when Modi says as the chief minister of Gujarat, that I’m a Hindu nationalist. That means Muslims of this country would be Muslim nationalists? Christians would be Christian nationalists? Sikhs would be Sikh nationalists? This is what these RSS criminals have been doing, dividing India,” Islam said.

“They’re talking about Bharat Mata (Mother India) but they are out to destroy this country because they say this is the land of Hindus. That automatically gives legitimacy to Jinnahthat if this is the land of Hindus, Muslims should have their own land, then Christians should have their own land, then Sikhs should have their own land. So we do not need any foreign enemy to destroy this country. RSS criminals are more than enough to destroy this country,” he added.

The professor pointed out that the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh translates to Indian volunteers association but their foreign counterparts called themselves Hindu Seva Sangh or Hindu volunteers association.

He also alleged that Hindutvawadis had caused fissures among Indian diaspora in the west as well.

Congress MLC BK Hariprasad, Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary K Prakash, Kannada author Meenakshi Bali and writer T Surendra who translated the book from English to Kannada were also present on the occasion.