File photo of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
The Modi- Government’s ‘Sabka Saath, SabkaVikas’ (collective efforts, inclusive growth) mantra got an endorsement from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fount of the BJP on Sunday, putting to rest speculation of disagreements within the Parivaar (family).
Delivering the 7th Nanaji Deshmukh memorial lecture in the Capital, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat underlined the need for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas as the hallmark of good governance.
“Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas is dharma (way of life), no one is our enemy all are our own. There are people in this world who are our enemies, we will do whatever it takes to save ourselves from them, but we will not consider anyone our enemy and attack anyone,” he said.
The RSS chief’s statement comes in the wake of concerns among some sections of the minorities about the growing footprint of the Sangh and the BJP; particularly in UP, where the party has appointed, Yogi Adityanath, considered a hardline Hindutva proponent as CM.
Collective efforts, inclusive growth has been a poll plank for the Modi government since it came to power in 2014 at the Centre and has since wrested as many as 10 states.
The only caveat in his speech, was the caution that development must be inclusive. He said development must be ushered in a way that the rich do not lose to benefit the poor nor do the rich benefit at the cost of the poor.
Opposition parties have often dubbed the BJP government as pro-rich and accused it of extending benefits to big industrialists. They cite continued agrarian crises and farmers’ suicides as examples of the government ignoring the poor.
On the clash between opting for development at the cost of environment, he said, the government has to find a balance the two and pushed for development that would create jobs instead of taking them away.