
This fight is between 'Dharma' and ‘Adharma': RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Pahalgam terror attack
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 25 (ANI): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said that the current fight is between 'Dharma' (righteousness) and 'Adharma' (unrighteousness), rather than just a conflict between sects and religions. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Bhagwat made the remarks in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
He also said that the fanatics who killed people by asking about their religion, Hindus, would never do this.
In his address, the RSS Chief said, 'The fight that is going on right now is not between sects and religions. Its basis is sect and religion, but this fight is between 'Dharma' and 'Adharma'. Our soldiers or our people have never killed anyone by asking about their religion. The fanatics who killed people by asking about their religion, Hindus would never do this. That is why the country should be strong.'
He further added, "Everyone is sad, there is anger in our hearts as it should be, because to destroy the demons, immense power is necessary. But some people are not ready to understand this, and there cannot be any kind of change in them now. Ravana was a devotee of Lord Shiva, knew the Vedas, had everything that was needed to be a good person, but the mind and intellect he had adopted were not ready to change. Ravana would not have changed until he died and was reborn. That is why Ram killed Ravana to change him."
The RSS Chief said that evil people need to be eliminated, just like Lord Ram killed Ravana.
"We are a people who see the good in everyone and accept all. Our country has an army, but there was a time we felt we didn't need one. We became complacent, thinking there would be no war, and in 1962, nature taught us a lesson. Since then, we have been striving to strengthen our defence. Evil must be eliminated. There is anger, and there is also expectation. I believe that expectation will be fulfilled. But such change doesn't come merely from weapons or anger. The true force behind it is closeness. It is intimacy that keeps society united. In Kaliyug, staying united is our greatest strength," Bhagwat said.
The RSS Chief emphasised the importance of unity and closeness in society, stating that while evil must be eliminated, true strength lies in togetherness.
"The wave of anger that swept the nation after the recent incident did not differentiate by caste, religion, creed, sect, region, or party. We stood together for the dignity of the country, and this must become our nature. When we are united like this, no one will dare cast a sidelong glance at us. And if they do, their eyes will be forced shut. But to reach that point, we must cultivate deep love and closeness among ourselves. Such incidents keep happening, and we respond strongly--this time too, we expect the same. But to prevent such events, society must unite. This is the very spirit the Constitution expects from us--emotional integration, a feeling of closeness," Bhagwat further added.
The RSS Chief said that the nationwide outrage following the recent incident showed unity across different groups, and this unity is essential for the country's dignity.
He further said, 'Once, it was said, 'Our religions are different; we cannot live together.' And the nation was divided. We accepted this, perhaps with the hope that things would improve. But even after 75 years, that hope remains unfulfilled. Just recently, the Army Chief of Pakistan reiterated the two-nation theory in his speech. We must take this seriously. The whole world is one family. No matter the religion or sect, eventually, everyone moves toward the same truth. Hatred is not our nature. Enmity is not our nature. But neither should helplessness be our nature. A powerful person should choose nonviolence. The weak have no other option. Our strength must be visible; only then will the world understand that these people are strong and should not be provoked. Only then do the evil forces of the world begin to understand.'
First Published: 25 Apr 2025, 11:41 AM IST

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Ahead of Bihar polls, EC plans house-to-house survey for electoral roll
The Election Commission of India is planning to conduct an 'intensive house-to-house verification' of the voters' list in Bihar ahead of the assembly polls due in the state later this year, officials said on Sunday. Such an intensive and rigorous revision of the electoral rolls has been done in the past as well with the last such exercise undertaken in 2004 (HT Photo) Concerns have been raised by various civil society organisations, political parties and others persistently over the inclusion or deletion of names in the electoral rolls, the officials said. 'To ensure the system is completely robust and error-free, the ECI is considering an intensive house-to-house verification during the upcoming electoral roll revision before the Bihar Assembly polls,' an EC official familiar with the matter said requesting anonymity. Also Read | Ahead of polls, Nitish hikes social security pension in Bihar to ₹ 1,100; Jeevika workers honorarium doubled Such an intensive and rigorous revision of the electoral rolls has been done in the past as well with the last such exercise undertaken in 2004, the official said. The regular exercise of revision of electoral rolls is undertaken annually throughout the country by the EC and also before the holding of elections or bypolls. The provisions regarding eligibility to be registered as a voter and disqualification are clearly laid down in Article 326 of the Constitution and Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 respectively, they said. Also Read | PM Modi targets RJD, Cong in marker for Bihar elections The voter list is revised regularly due to deaths and inclusion of new voters. Inter-state and intra-state movement of voters is another key reason why rolls need updation. For instance, during 2024, according to the forms received by the EC, 4.6 million people shifted their residence, 23 million applied for corrections and 3.3 million requested for replacement, the commission said in a statement issued on Sunday. Thus, in a single year, nearly 31 million changes were required to be made across the country, the commission said in the statement. Officials lamented that despite following a detailed protocol, insinuations and allegations are often made against the EC of arbitrarily inflating the electoral roll, even though the exercise is conducted with complete transparency and under constant scrutiny of political parties. Several parties, including the Congress, have accused the poll authority of manipulating voter data.


India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Operation Sindhu: 285 more Indians evacuated from conflict-hit Iran, total reaches 1,713
New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): Another special flight carrying 285 Indian nationals stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Sunday night, taking the total number of people evacuated under Operation Sindhu to 1,713. This marks the eighth batch of Indians brought home as part of the ongoing operation. The latest group arrived from Mashhad, Iran, and was received at Delhi airport by the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). In a post on X, the MEA stated, 'India's evacuation efforts continue under Operation Sindhu. MoS Shri Pabitra Margherita received 285 Indian nationals evacuated on a special flight from Mashhad that landed in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 22 June.' 'With this, 1,713 Indian nationals have now been brought home from Iran,' the MEA added. Meanwhile, MoS Margherita, in a post on X, expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing operation, stating, 'Warmly welcomed 285 Indian nationals at the Delhi airport who were evacuated from Iran under Operation Sindhu. With this, 1,713 Indian nationals have been brought home safely from Iran.' The evacuees, hailing from various states across the country, expressed profound gratitude towards the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their rescue amidst the ongoing conflict in Iran. Fazal Abbas, an evacuee from Lucknow, said, 'I am feeling very good... PM Modi considers everyone as his family member. He rescued us from the corners of Iran and brought us back home.' Similarly, SN Zaidi expressed, 'I am grateful to our government, the Embassy, and the Ministry of External Affairs,' while another evacuee, Marshal, added, 'The words cannot put into the feelings that I feel after coming back to India. We thank the Indian Embassy in Tehran and the Ministry of External Affairs.' Another evacuee, Raza, noted, 'The Indian Embassy is working really hard... We were very confident that the Modi government would rescue us,' expressing hope for those still in Iran. Other evacuees, including Satheer Fatima, who described the worsening situation in Iran as 'very dangerous', and Syed Shehzad Ali Jafri from Mumbai, echoed similar sentiments of relief and pride to the Indian government on his return. 'I am from Mumbai... I work there in Iran and have been there for the last 3 years. The Indian government supported us... Today, we are here because of them,' Jafri said. Shama Firoz and Tehmeena also praised the government's arrangements, saying, 'We wished and prayed a lot to return home safely. Our government has fulfilled that wish.' Earlier on the day, another batch of citizens, carrying 311 Indian nationals from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu, landed in the national capital. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 311 Indian nationals arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 4:30 pm on Sunday. (ANI)


India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"America's interference in countries should end": Maharashtra SP chief Abu Azmi
Solapur (Maharashtra) [India], June 22 (ANI): After the Washington bombed Iran's three nuclear sites, Maharashtra Samajwadi Party President Abu Asim Azmi on Sunday said that the US 'interference' in other countries should end. Speaking to the media, Azmi also called Donald Trump's constant claim for the cessation of India-Pakistan hostilities an 'insult' to our country. 'America's interference in other countries should end. Dr Ram Manohar Lohia had said that India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Srilanka, and Nepal should form a federation to counter the US threats. America says they have stopped the India-Pakistan war. This is our insult. PM Modi has repeatedly said it is not true,' Azmi said. Azmi further slammed the US for its silence over Israel's military action in Gaza. 'America is not saying anything about the bombed and starving children in Palestine; it is supporting Israel. First, Israel attacked Iran, and then Iran retaliated. That person (Ali Khamenei) is 85 years old, ...The way he replied to Israel, he has done a wonderful job. I appreciate him,' he said. Azmi's remark came after the US, on early Sunday carried out 'massive precision' strikes on Iran's three nuclear sites -Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow- and warned of further retaliation if peace is not achieved. Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that an emergency meeting would take place on Monday in light of the developments taking place in West Asia. Earlier in the day, the IAEA confirmed that there has been no reported increase in off-site radiation levels following the recent strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, including the underground enrichment facility at Fordow. 'Following attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran -- including Fordow -- the IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time. IAEA will provide further assessments on the situation in Iran as more information becomes available,' the agency said in a statement. Iran condemned the attacks, calling them a violation of international law and vowed to continue its nuclear program. A statement issued by Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that early on Sunday morning, Iran's nuclear sites were 'subjected to savage aggression--an act in violation of international laws, particularly the NPT.' 'This action, which violates international regulations, unfortunately took place under the indifference--and even complicity--of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),' it said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the US military action under the leadership of Trump, stating that Trump's bold decision to target Iranian nuclear facilities will change history. Meanwhile, India continues its evacuation efforts for Indian nationals in Iran, with multiple flights planned to bring back Indians from the conflict-hit region. (ANI)