'RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's Hindu nation comment made in social context'

NEW DELHI: BJP Minority Morcha today said RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's 'Hindu nation' comments were made in the social context and not a religious one.

"In my opinion, whatever Bhagwat said was in a social context. He did not mean to say that the people of other religions are Hindus in a religious manner. His comments should only be seen in a social light and there should not be any objection to it," National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Minority Morcha Abdul Rasheed Ansari said today.

Citing the example of the poet Iqbal's composition 'Sare Jahan se Accha', Ansari said the song refers to the country as Hindustan and people of the country as Hindi.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, in a rally in Cuttack had questioned why people of Hindustan could not be called Hindus, when people of Germany, England and America are called Germans, English and Americans respectively.

Ansari also dismissed the Congress party's contention that communal incidents in the country had increased after Modi became the Prime Minister.

"Nothing of that sort has happened for which my party can be blamed. Wherever incidents have occurred, the respective state governments should take responsibility," he said.

"The highest number of incidents have taken place in Uttar Pradesh where the Samajwadi Party is in power. Similarly incidents have also taken place in Maharashtra and a few other places where our party is not in power," Ansari said.

"Law and order machinery is the responsibility of the state and the BJP cannot be held responsible for these incidents," he reiterated.