Congress slams Bhagwat’s statement on lynchings

The Congress has reacted sharply to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement on lynching incidents, saying it is shocked at such an insensitive comment.

Taking to Twitter, Congress Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said, "Shocked at Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat's insensitive comment. The issue is not Europe or India, English or Hindi. The killing of innocent, hapless people by agitated mobs is unacceptable to humanity. Languages don't matter."

Anand Sharma later said, "I demand that you clarify in India's national interest and global perception, whether you endorse or condemn such killings of innocent men, women and children by mobs. Please come clean on this in India's national interest."

Addressing the RSS's Vijayadashmi rally at Nagpur, Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat said it was wrong to use the term lynching in the Indian context.

Bhagwat ruled out the involvement of RSS members in such incidents and said that they are not involved, rather they try to stop them.

AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi too slammed Bhagwat over the remarks.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president said "the victims were Indians" and alleged that Bhagwat was not saying to stop lynching.

"The victims were Indians. Who garlanded convicts? Who draped them in (tricolor)? Weve a Godse loving BJP MP.

There cant be a bigger defamation of India than ideology that killed Gandhi/Tabrez (Ansari). Bhagwat isnt saying stop lynching, hes saying dont call it that," Owaisi tweeted.