No Constitutional Approval Needed to Call India a Hindu Nation: Mohan Bhagwat

Kolkata, Dec 22, 2025: Addressing a programme commemorating 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Mohan Bhagwat stated that India is, and will continue to be, a Hindu nation, asserting that this reality does not require constitutional endorsement so long as Indian culture is valued in the country.

Reiterating that India is a “Hindu nation,” the RSS chief said on Sunday that no constitutional approval is necessary, as it is a matter of “truth”.

“The Sun rises in the east; we don't know since when this has been happening. So, do we need constitutional approval for that, too? Hindustan is a Hindu nation. Whoever considers India their motherland appreciates Indian culture, as long as there is even one person alive on the land of Hindustan who believes in and cherishes the glory of Indian ancestors, India is a Hindu nation. This is the ideology of the Sangh,” he said while addressing the ‘100 Vyakhyan Mala’ programme of the RSS in Kolkata.

He further said, “If Parliament ever decides to amend the Constitution and add that word, whether they do it or not, it's fine. We don't care about that word because we are Hindus, and our nation is a Hindu nation. That is the truth. The caste system based on birth is not the hallmark of Hindutva.”

The RSS has consistently maintained that India is a “Hindu nation” in view of the country’s cultural roots and the majority population’s association with Hinduism. The word ‘secular’ was not part of the original Preamble of the Constitution and was introduced, along with ‘socialist’, through the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976, during the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Bhagwat also appealed to people to visit RSS offices and ‘shakhas’ to better understand the organisation’s work, saying this would help counter what he described as a false perception of the RSS as “anti-Muslim”.

He said people have come to recognise that the organisation stands for the protection of Hindus and consists of “staunch nationalists,” but is not anti-Muslim.

“If there is a perception that we are anti-Muslim, then, as I said, the RSS work is transparent. You can come anytime and see for yourself, and if you see anything like that happening, then you keep your views, and if you don't see it, then you change your views. There is a lot to understand (about RSS), but if you don't want to understand, then no one can change your mind,” Bhagwat said.

He added that those unwilling to learn cannot be helped.

“After seeing, people have said that you are staunch nationalists. You organise Hindus, and you advocate for the protection of Hindus. But you are not anti-Muslim. Many people have accepted this, and those who want to know more should come and see the RSS for themselves,” he said.

Courtesy: NDTV