Javed Akhtar's Taliban-RSS remarks aimed at creating confusion in society: VHP

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday condemned the statement of Javed Akhtar on the Taliban and RSS calling it a "conspiracy" to confuse society and demanded strict action against the Bollywood lyricist. "The Taliban is a terrorist organisation which believes in violence and is anti-women. Comparing such organisations with the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal.....I condemn his statement. All these three organisations do not believe in violence and do not work against anyone. They do social service. It seems like a conspiracy when such big people give such statements and society gets confused. His statement was aimed at confusing society by telling lies. Strict action should be taken against him," VHP national general secretary Milind Parande told reporters when asked about Akhtar's statement.

Parande demanded that the web series "Empire" be restricted as it is "very systematically channelising the violent and aggressive Muslim invaders".

To a query on Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's meeting with some Muslim intellectuals in Mumbai, Parande said, "organisations that work in society for the national cause can meet anybody. This meeting is part of that normal discourse".


Queried on VHP's stand in the next year's assembly polls in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Parande said the VHP is not a political party.

"The VHP works in the interest of Hindus. We believe that the interest of Hindus and the country is the same. We would like to have the Central and state governments that think of the interest of Hindus. We will spread awareness in society about the Hindu interest and the importance of voting," he said.

Parande termed as "appeasement policy" the allotment of a room for offering namaz in the Jharkhand assembly.

"This appeasement is going on even now. India was divided due to such an appeasement policy. Any dialogue with Muslims or anyone should be on the principles of nationalism as they are citizens of this country. The dialogue should not be based on appeasement as it is not good for the country. What happened in Jharkhand is an example of appeasement," he said.

Parande also demanded action against the persons involved in the Hijab incident in Nagpur.

A complaint was filed at a police station on Saturday after some local residents took exception to the alleged distribution of pamphlets advocating 'hijab'' (Islamic head covering) in the Civil Lines area. Some morning walkers saw three women allegedly distributing pamphlets and urging young women to wear the hijab, and questioned them, a police release had said.

Parande refused to speak on the agenda of recently held coordination meetings held between the RSS and its affiliated organisations like VHP, BMS and others in Nagpur.