Bengaluru, 23 March

Amid the ongoing debate over the Karnataka government's decision to provide a four per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Sunday asserted that the Constitution does not allow religion-based quota. He also said such reservations go against the architect of our Constitution, BR Ambedkar.

Addressing reporters here on the concluding day of Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision making body of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hosabale said, "Religion-based reservation is not accepted in the Constitution authored by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Anybody doing it is going against the wishes of the architect of our Constitution."

He also pointed out that previous attempts by erstwhile Undivided Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to introduce religion-based reservations for Muslims were set aside by the High Courts and Supreme Court. Responding to a query about the controversy over 17th century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's grave in Maharashtra, Hosabale remarked that Aurangzeb was made an icon and not his brother Dara Shikoh, who believed in social harmony. People who went against the ethos of India were made icons, he said. Hosabale lauded figures like Rajput king Maharana Pratap for resisting Mughal emperor Akbar and said those who resisted invaders were also "freedom fighters". Asked if the RSS believed that it should convey its views to the Centre on certain matters, Hosabale said there is no necessity now. To a query on the appointment of a new BJP national president, the RSS general secretary said the Sangh does not interfere in the party's internal matters. Commenting on the Sangh's idea of 'One Nation, One Culture', Hosabale said it draws inspiration from India's rich cultural heritage and ethos. "A person who tried to destroy this country and its cultural identity will remain an outsider. Anyone in India who tries to present a distorted narrative should be challenged," he said.