India Nationalist RSS Chief Urges Caste Unity Ahead of Key Poll

(Bloomberg) -- Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the nationalist group RSS, urged the Hindu community to bridge its caste differences ahead of the upcoming elections in the state of Maharashtra.

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The narrative that divides the nation along caste lines is supported by the “selfish interests of some political parties, Bhagwat said in his annual speech in the city of Nagpur on Saturday. He added that cultural integration is key to bringing harmony in Indian society.

It’s been a highly charged campaign for control of Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai, India’s main financial hub. The right wing alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party lost support there in the general elections. The RSS — the movement that helped shape the BJP — accused the party of having reduced its “brand value” through “unnecessary politicking and avoidable manipulations.”

The comments may draw support away from opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who has made addressing caste divide a cornerstone of his political identity.

Bhagwat had previously criticized Modi’s general election campaign for being divisive and lacking in “decorum.” Ahead of the national polls, opposition leaders had accused Modi and other senior BJP leaders of using anti-Muslim language and fear-mongering to win support.

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