Pakistan has strongly condemned the recent remark by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on undoing partition, terming it "delusional thinking and historical revisionism". Calling the remark “highly provocative”, Islamabad said it had been warning the world about the danger posed by RSS to regional peace.  

On Thursday, speaking at a book launch event, Bhagwat, who is the chief of the  Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of Hindu nationalist organisations, said, "Partition has happened once, it won't happen again. Those who think that way will face partition themselves," adding further,  "the only solution to the pain of Partition lies in undoing it."

Responding to the remark, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said, “Pakistan completely rejected the "highly provocative and irresponsible remarks", pointing out that the RSS chief had also indulged in "such delusional thinking and historical revisionism" previously, Dawn media reported. 

"Pakistan has repeatedly highlighted the threat posed to regional peace and stability by the toxic mix of the extremist Hindutva ideology (Hindu Rashtra) and expansionist foreign policy (Akhand Bharat or undivided India)  being pursued by the ruling RSS-BJP dispensation in India," he was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.

India’s ruling party, the BJP, is the political arm of the RSS. 

Calling Bhagwat’s remark "dangerous mindset", Pakistan also accused it of "completely marginalizing and displacing" minorities in India. The group, it added, also posed an existential threat to all South Asian neighbors.

Interestingly, a few years ago, Ram Madhav, who was then the spokesperson of the RSS, had claimed in an interview that the Hindu nationalist group aimed at undoing the partition of the subcontinent. At the time, the RSS had officially rejected Madhav’s remark and claimed that there was neither any plan nor the group had any such objective. 

"Pakistan has consistently opposed India's hegemonic impulses and demonstrated a firm resolve to thwart any aggressive designs. While committed to peace, the people and armed forces of Pakistan are fully capable of defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country," Pakistan said on Thursday. 

Islamabad also advised the BJP and RSS to "refrain from making such provocative and irresponsible statements, accept the established realities, and learn to follow the imperatives of peaceful coexistence."

Bhagwat’s remark may not have any significant reaction within India as many middle-rung leaders within the group often use the term ‘Akhund Bharat’, which means undivided India--a reference to the subcontinent prior to 1947. However, these remarks often stir the political pot in India’s neighborhood which often playy against Indian interests. 

While these statements embolden the narrative of Pakistan’s powerful military--which maintains its primacy in the country by claiming that Pakistan faces an “existential threat” from India-- in Nepal, these statements are often used by both vested political interests to whip up anti-India sentiments by higlighting India's "hegemonic intentions". 

(SAM)