AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has hit back at Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat over his recent remarks on Hindu-Muslim unity, describing them as the “oldest trick” in the Sangh organisation’s “playbook”. Owaisi’s comments came after Bhagwat, speaking at an event in New York, said that any Hindu who believes India is not for Muslims cannot be considered a Hindu. The RSS chief’s remarks were centred on the idea that Muslims are an integral part of India and that Hindu identity should not be defined by excluding other religious communities.

Reacting to Bhagwat in a post on X on Sunday, Owaisi questioned the RSS chief’s assertion by referring to statements and writings associated with the organisation’s founders and ideological thinkers. The AIMIM leader argued that the RSS’s historical position towards religious minorities needs to be considered when assessing its present-day statements on social harmony. He characterised Bhagwat’s comments as a familiar strategy that, in his view, does not alter what he considers to be the organisation’s longstanding ideological position.

Owaisi also alleged that the RSS has historically regarded religious minorities as “internal threats”. In his post, he claimed that Indian Muslims and Christians have been described within the RSS ideological framework as the first and second “internal threats”, respectively. The AIMIM leader used the allegation to challenge Bhagwat’s message about Hindu-Muslim unity and to argue that there is a disconnect between the RSS’s historical writings and the conciliatory tone adopted by its chief in recent public statements.

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Bhagwat’s remarks in New York focused on the broader question of Hindu identity and the relationship between Hindus and Muslims in India. By saying that a Hindu who believes Muslims do not belong in India is not a Hindu, Bhagwat appeared to draw a distinction between Hindu identity and the exclusion of other communities. The comments are part of a broader pattern in Bhagwat’s public messaging in which he has spoken about social cohesion, national unity and the need for different communities to coexist within India.

The RSS, founded in 1925, has historically promoted the idea of a Hindu cultural identity for India, while critics have raised concerns about the implications of its ideology for the country’s religious minorities. The organisation and its leaders have also faced sustained political criticism from parties and leaders who argue that its worldview can marginalise non-Hindu communities. Supporters of the RSS, however, have maintained that its concept of Hindutva is centred on cultural and national identity rather than discrimination against citizens based on their religion. Owaisi has been one of the most vocal political critics of the RSS and its ideological influence in Indian politics. As the leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, he has frequently raised issues involving minority rights, secularism and the treatment of Muslims in India.

His latest remarks continue that political opposition, directly challenging Bhagwat’s attempt to frame Hindu identity in terms of inclusion rather than exclusion. The exchange highlights a continuing ideological debate over the meaning of Hindu nationalism, the RSS’s interpretation of Indian identity and the place of religious minorities in the country. Bhagwat’s statement seeks to emphasise that Muslims are part of the Indian social and national fabric, while Owaisi has questioned whether such statements represent a substantive shift in the RSS’s ideological outlook. The contrasting positions reflect a wider political dispute that has persisted for decades and remains central to debates surrounding secularism, pluralism and communal relations in India.

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