Patna: Union Minister and LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan on Tuesday declined to offer any comment on the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement recently in which he has described India as a 'Hindu nation'.
"No comments," Paswan told reporters when asked to express his views on Bhagwat's statement which has generated a huge controversy in political circles.
"I have no no comments to offer," he said when reporters persisted with the question about Bhagwat's 'Hindu nation' remarks.
The Union Minister later opened out saying that the RSS was a different organisation to the BJP with which he has formed a coalition and sought to distance himself from Bhagwat's views.
"RSS is a different organisation with which the LJP has nothing to do...We have formed a coalition with the BJP whose leaders, including the Prime Minister Narendra Modi always vouch for development," he said.
Though refusing to join the debate arising out of Bhagwat's 'Hindu nation' remarks, Paswan said that it was not the first time that a RSS leader has said so as its elders have been known to make such statements consistently for a long time.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, August 19, 2014, 19:41
