'Ram Temple was a matter of faith but don't rake up more temple-mosque disputes: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday expressed concern over the rising temple-mosque disputes and warned that no one can become "leaders of Hindus" by raking up such issues.

Bhagwat was delivering a lecture on 'India- The Vishwaguru' at Sahjeevan Vyakhyanmala (lecture series) in Pune when he spoke against the "mosque-temple" disputes. Though he did not specifically mention any incident, Bhagwant issued a word of warning, stating that Ram Temple was a matter of faith for all Hindus.

"We have been living in harmony for a long time. If we want to provide this harmony to the world, we need to create a model of it. After the construction of the Ram Mandir, some people think they could become leaders of Hindus by raking up similar issues in new places. This is not acceptable," he said. "The Ram Temple was constructed since it was a matter of faith for all Hindus." 

The RSS chief said some people wanted the old rule to return but the country runs as per the Constitution now.

"People choose their representatives, who run the government. The days of hegemony are gone," he said, referring to how Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was characterised by such staunchness, though his descendant Bahadur Shah Zafar in 1857 banned cow slaughter. "It was decided that Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should be given to Hindus but the British sensed it and created a rift between the two communities. Since then, this sense of 'algavwad' (separatism) came into being. As a result, Pakistan came into existence," he said.

He added that there was no majority or minority in the country. "There is no majority or minority here; we all are one. Everyone is equal here. The tradition of this nation is all can follow their own forms of worship. The only requirement is to live in harmony and abide by rules and laws," the RSS chief asserted.

On India's bid to become 'Vishwaguru', Bhagwat said it should be achieved not through material happiness, but through moral principles. 

He said the ancient, eternal Hindu nation of India originated from religious principles and truth. "This country has a benevolent attitude, which is evident from the examples of Sri Lanka, Maldives and Libya. The tradition of the country is eternal. We are not the ones who say that ours is the truth. Also, we have faith in everyone. However, if someone tries to convert us by attacking and insulting our gods, it will not work," he said.

The Sangh will implement programmes based on the five transformational principles of social harmony, environment, family enlightenment, awareness of 'self' and civic duty, Bhagwat said.