Senior leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and Muslim community held a dialogue in New Delhi on Friday (January 16, 2026) in which speakers underlined the need for unity, inclusion and peace while discussing sensitive issues such as the politics of hatred and the role of fringe elements in society.
Organised by Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed, founder of the Inter Faith Harmony Foundation of India, the dialogue session at India Islamic Cultural Centre was attended by RSS joint general secretary Krishna Gopal and the Sangh’s outreach in-charge Ramlal.
Incidentally, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had launched Mr. Ahmed’s book The Meeting of Minds: A Bridging Initiative back in 2021, which dwelled on bridging perceived gaps between Muslims and Hindus.
The Muslim community was represented by former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, retired Lieutenant General Zameeruddin Shah, social activist and political analyst Shalini Ali, social worker Jasim Muhammad, NCPUL director Shams Iqbal, Major Muhammad Shah Ali, among others.
In his address, Mr. Jung expressed concern over a recent speech of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in which he urged the youth in India to “avenge India’s history”. He also raised the issue of denial of bail to activist Umar Khalid, accused in a larger conspiracy case related to the North East Delhi riots in 2020.
Why is PM silent on attacks?: Jung
Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence during attacks on minorities, demolitions of homes, and the spread of falsehoods, Mr. Jung termed such incidents as a matter of grave concern for democracy. He also pointed out about rewriting history in school textbooks, cow vigilantism and spoke at length on several burning issues pertaining to Muslims.
Lt. Gen. (retd.) Zameeruddin Shah also raised issues like social media, cinema and right-wing “hooliganism” as dangerous tools for spreading hatred against Muslims. He appealed to the RSS that if the organisation believes 20% of society consists of fringe elements, they must be identified and restrained — because “a single faulty part can jam an entire machine”.
Addressing the gathering, RSS leader Mr. Krishna Gopal said that fringe elements are not the problem themselves, but symptoms of a deeper social illness. Instead of only confronting provocateurs, society must identify and cure the underlying causes.
Referring to late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech at Aligarh Muslim University on January 24, 1948, Mr. Gopal hailed him for placing nationalism above religion as it truly unites India.
On Umar Khalid’s bail status
Responding to Mr. Jung’s statement on denial of bail to Umar Khalid, Mr. Ramlal said: “That is why people are only talking about denial of bail to Umar Khalid but not speaking about [journalist] Mohammad Zubair who was given bail very quickly by the Supreme Court even when his crime was bigger.”
In 2022, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to Mohammed Zubair in eight criminal cases registered against him by the Uttar Pradesh Police in different districts on hate speech charges.
Mr. Ramlal also questioned the perception that courts are influenced by the government and said that it is not right to bring the government and RSS into everything.
Refuting the allegations that RSS influences the BJP-led government, Mr. Ramlal said the Sangh Parivar never has any “say” even in the smallest decisions of the BJP. He added that the RSS never asks anyone to vote for any party.
He also refuted the allegations of a particular section of society that RSS only supports BJP.
RSS’s message to Congress
“Mai Congress ke logo se milta hu or kehta hu jab tak aap Sangh ko gali dete rahoge, hum BJP ko support karte rahenge… aapko support kaise karein… aap support mango to sahi. Sangh ki majburi aapne BJP bana di hai (I meet Congress members and tell them that as long as you keep abusing the Sangh, we will continue to support the BJP… How can we support you when you are not seeking our support? You keep insulting us. You have made BJP a compulsion for Sangh),” Mr. Ramlal said, adding that “selective narratives” show the RSS in bad light.
“News of Bajrang Dal members vandalising churches spread fast but facts that those hooligans were either suspended or terminated by Sangh long before they commit such a crime never make it to news. They (hooligans) misuse our name….even when we clarify, we are criticised. You (Muslims) and RSS are on same page. In your case, if one person does anything bad, the entire community is blamed. Same is with the Sangh. We are victims of same narrative building,” he said adding that turning a few incidents into a “national crisis” is wrong.
Published – January 17, 2026 02:00 am IST
