RSS chief condemns Palgarh lynching, says two sadhus were innocent

Terming the incident as unfortunate, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat condemned the lynching of two sadhus in Palgarh. He also said that one should not take law and order in his/her hands.

Nagpur (Maharashtra):Condemning the lynching of two sadhus in Palgarh, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that they were innocent and there is a need to think about the police role or what if someone takes the law into his hands.

"The two sadhus were beaten to death. They were innocent. They were practising dharma and were propagating it. It was very unfortunate. We are in grief due to that," said Bhagwat in his online address on 'Current scenario and our role' on Sunday.

"The murder of two 'sadhus'. Should this have happened? Should law and order be taken into one's hands? What should have the police done? All of this is something to think about," he said.

Three people, who were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to Gujarat via interior roads of Palghar, were beaten to death on April 17 by Gadchinchle villagers, suspecting them as thieves. The three men, including two sadhus, were taken to the hospital where they were declared brought dead, police said.

The RSS chief called upon the public to be careful with their fellow countrymen when anyone was found flouting the public health restrictions in place to check the spread of coronavirus.

Referring to the Tablighi Jamaat gathering in Delhi as 'more than a third of coronavirus infections in India are linked to it', Bhagwat said: "Do not get angry or fired up. There are members of the 'Bharat Tere Tukde Honge' gang, who are trying to incite the public. We cannot harbour ill-will against the entire community for mistakes of a few individuals."

"The 130 crore population of India are all the children of Bharat Mata and our brothers. This should be kept in mind. There should be no fear or anger from both sides. Rational and responsible people should protect their groups from this. If this is not done, what happens?" he said.

The RSS chief also appealed to the people to join the government in this collective effort to combat COVID-19 and reach out to everyone, who needs help.

"When the people were bound by some rules and guidelines, they felt that they are being prohibited from doing certain things. RSS made a decision in March itself and cancelled all its programmes till June end," he said.

"But some people might feel that the government is prohibiting our programmes. We are working not for the publicity of our works but for the betterment of society. Everyone should work for the society in these hard times with dedication," added Bhagwat.

ANI Report