A day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat strongly pitched for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya at "the earliest", the Congress on Thursday said such statements were obvious as 2019 approaches.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari, while responding to questions on the RSS's three-day conclave that ended on Wednesday, said the DNA of an organisation or a person could not be changed.
Asked about Mr Bhagwat's Ram temple remarks, he said "When elections come, they are suddenly reminded of the Ram Mandir." Mr Tewari also claimed that if a time line of statements made by the BJP and RSS leadership on the Ram temple is drawn, one will find that they were made close to the elections.
The views of the RSS on Article 370 and Ram temple may not have changed, but its views on Article 377 have, Mr Tewari said, in an apparent jibe at Mr Bhagwat's comments in which he said the LGBTQ community should not be isolated.
On the three-day RSS conclave, he said every organisation had the right to put forward its views.
Asked about Mr Bhagwat's remarks on identity of Indians, Mr Tewari said, "Our viewpoint is clear. There is no contradiction between a national, religious or even a sub nationalistic entity. I am a proud Indian, I am a Hindu and I am a Punjabi at the same time. There is no contradiction between them."
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