“So I think what Mamdani said has some truth in it that India we grew up with was the India for everybody,” he said.
Pitroda alleged that Muslims and Christians had experienced growing anxiety in recent years. He also questioned the effect of RSS influence on educational bodies and other public institutions.
“You ask average Muslim or Christian how they feel in the last 15 years, what has happened to their churches, their communities, and they will tell you,” he said.
The Congress leader also alleged a difference between the RSS’s public statements and its conduct, saying he would judge the organisation by its actions rather than its words.
“Their words mean one thing and their actions mean something else,” Pitroda said. “To me, actions speak louder.”
Pitroda said he had never met Bhagwat but personally knew several RSS members. He added that he remained friends with people whose political and ideological positions differed from his own.
“I respect them. I respect diversity. But when it becomes violent, I have a problem. When it becomes hateful, I have a problem,” he said, adding that disagreement was acceptable as long as respect and dignity were maintained.
Pitroda called on the RSS and other organisations in India to return to what he described as the country’s founding principles.
“What was the core idea of India? That India belongs to everybody. India belongs to Hindu, Muslim, Christians, Jews, Dalits,” he said.
Founded in Nagpur in 1925, the RSS completed its centenary in 2025. The organisation describes itself as a cultural and social body dedicated to national service and character-building.
With IANS inputs
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