Call of inclusion and unity as RSS, Muslim leaders hold dialogue
Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and senior leaders of the Muslim community held a dialogue in New Delhi on Friday, January 16, 2026; In this dialogue, speakers underlined the need for unity, participation and peace while discussing sensitive issues such as the politics of hate and the role of fringe elements in society.
RSS joint general secretary Krishna Gopal and Sangh’s outreach officer Ramlal attended the dialogue session at the Islamic Cultural Center of India, organized by Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed, founder of the India Foundation for Interfaith Harmony.
Meanwhile, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had launched Mr Ahmed’s book. Meeting of Minds: A Bridging Initiative In 2021, the focus was on bridging perceived gaps between Muslims and Hindus.
The Muslim community was represented by former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi, retired Lieutenant General Zameeruddin Shah, social activist and political analyst Shalini Ali, social worker Jasim Muhammad, NCPUL director Shams Iqbal, Major Muhammad Shah Ali and others.
In his speech, Mr. Jung expressed concern over National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s recent speech in which he called on youth in India to “take revenge on India’s history.” He also raised the issue of denying bail to activist Umar Khalid, who is accused in a larger conspiracy case related to the North East Delhi riots of 2020.
Why is the Prime Minister silent against the attacks?: Jung
Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence during attacks on minorities, demolition of houses and spread of lies, Mr. Jung termed such incidents as a serious concern for democracy. He also pointed out the rewriting of history in school textbooks, nerd wokeism, and spoke at length about many burning issues regarding Muslims.
Lieutenant General (retired) Zameeruddin Shah also cited social media, cinema and right-wing “hooliganism” as dangerous tools to spread hatred against Muslims. He told RSS that if the organization believes that 20% of society is made up of external elements, they need to be identified and limited because “one faulty part can break the whole machine.”
Addressing the meeting, RSS leader Mr. Krishna Gopal said that fringe elements are not the problem itself but symptoms of a deeper social disease. Society needs to identify and treat underlying causes rather than merely confronting provocateurs.
Referring to late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech at the Aligarh Muslim University on January 24, 1948, Mr. Gopal praised him for putting nationalism above religion, which truly united India.
About Ömer Halid’s bail status
Responding to Mr. Jung’s statement regarding the denial of bail to Umar Khalid, Mr. Ramlal said: “So people only talk about the denial of bail to Umar Khalid, but they do not talk about it. [journalist] Muhammad Zubair, who was granted bail very quickly by the Supreme Court despite his crime being greater.”
In 2022, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to Muhammad Zubair in eight criminal cases filed against him by the Uttar Pradesh Police on hate speech charges in different districts.
Mr. Ramlal also questioned the perception that the courts were influenced by the government and said it was not right to involve the government and RSS in everything.
Dismissing allegations that the RSS was influencing the BJP-led government, Mr. Ramlal said the Sangh Parivar never had “a say” in even the smallest decisions of the BJP. He added that RSS never asks anyone to vote for any party.
He also denied allegations by a certain section of society that the RSS only supports the BJP.
RSS’s message to Congress
“Mai Congress ke logo se milta hu ya kehta hu jab tak aap Sangh ko gali dete rahoge, hum BJP ko support karte rahenge… aapko support kaise karein… aap support mango sahi. Sangh ki majburi aapne BJP bana di hai (I am meeting Congress members and telling them that as long as you continue to exploit the Sangh, we will continue to support the BJP… How can we support you when you do not seek our support? You continue to insult us. You have made the BJP a necessity for the Sangh),” Mr. Ramlal said, adding that “selective narratives” showed the RSS in a bad light.
“News spreads fast about Bajrang Dal members damaging churches, but the fact that these hooligans are either suspended or terminated by the Sangh long before committing such a crime never comes to the news. They (hooligans) are misusing our name….even when we come clean, we are criticized. You (Muslims) and the RSS are on the same page. In your case, if one person does something bad, the entire society is blamed. The same goes for the Sangh. We are of the same narrative structure.” “We are victims of it.” He stated that it was wrong to turn a few incidents into a “national crisis”.
It was published – 17 January 2026 02:00 IST
