New Delhi, Apr 4 (Indian Express) : Referring to Muslims who refuse to chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, yoga guru Ramdev on Sunday said if the country didn’t have laws, “hum toh lakhon ki gardan kaat sakte hain (we would have decapitated lakhs)”. He also said “if any religion says that do not honour the motherland, such a religion is also not in the interest of this country”.
Speaking at a Sadbhavna rally organised by the RSS in Rohtak — attended among others by Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat — Ramdev said: “Koi aadmi topi pehan kar ke khada ho jaata hai, bolta Bharat Mata ki Jai nahi bolunga, chahe meri gardan kaat do. Arey is desh mein kanoon hai, nahi toh teri ek ki kya, hum toh lakhon ki gardan kaat sakte hain. Lekin hum is desh ke kanoon ka samman karte hain. Koi aise khada ho ke bol de, isliye in hurdangiyon ke honsle buland ho jaate hain. Hum is desh ke kanoon aur samvidhan ka samman karte hain, nahi toh koi Bharat Mata ka apmaan kare, ek nahi, hum hazaron lakhon ke sheesh kalam karne ka samarth rakhte hain”.
(Some person wears a cap and stands up. He says I will not say Bharat Mata ki Jai even if you decapitate me. This country has a law, otherwise let alone one, we can behead lakhs. But we respect this country’s law. If somebody stands up and speaks like this, that gives strength to hooligans. We respect this country’s law and Constitution, otherwise if anybody disrespects Bharat Mata, we have the capability of beheading not one but thousands and lakhs).
Ramdev continued: “Mujhe ashcharya hota hai, kuch sansthayein bani hui hain, kehti hain Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna hamare dharm ke khilaaf hai. Yeh kaise ho sakta hai. Apni matrabhoomi ko gaurav dena kisi majhab ke khilaf nahi, aur agar koi majhab yeh kehta ho ki apni matrabhoomi ko gaurav mat do, woh majhab bhi desh ke hit mein nahi”.
(I am astonished. There are a few organisations which say chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai is against their religion. How can it be? Giving honour to your motherland is not against any religion, and if any religion says that do not honour the motherland, such a religion is also not in the interest of this country).
“Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna koi kisi dharm ki pooja nahi hai. Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna kisi ki aarti utarna nahi hai. Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna koi dharm pooja nahi hai, yeh toh apne rashtra ke gaurav ka, apne rashtra ke swabhiman ka, apne rashtra ki garima ka prashan hai, aur hum Hindu hon, hum Sikh hon, hum Muslim hon, hum Isai hon, hum sabse pehle Hindustani hain,” Ramdev said.
(Chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai is not worship of any religion. It is a matter of national honour, pride, prestige. We may be Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christians, we are Indians first).
The Sadbhavna rally was organised by the RSS to restore peace, harmony and brotherhood in Haryana which was witness to violence in February in the wake of the Jat reservation agitation.