New Delhi, October 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha on Tuesday invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of non-violent resistance to respond to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks about forces allegedly seeking to “dismantle” India.
“Mohan Bhagwat should not be worried at all. This is Mahatma Gandhi’s country. Perhaps you people do not believe that, but I know it, because your ideology stands against Gandhi ji,” Jha said.
Emphasising Gandhi’s role in shaping India’s freedom struggle, the RJD leader cited the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Quit India Movement as models for challenging those in power.
“Don’t, worry, this is Mahatma Gandhi’s country. France does not have Gandhi ji, Albania does not have Gandhi ji, but we have Bapu. Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement is our model, Gandhi ji’s Civil Disobedience Movement is our model, and Gandhi ji’s Quit India Movement is our model,” he said.
Jha added that opposition to authoritarianism would continue to draw inspiration from Gandhi’s principles.
“We will continue to challenge the authoritarianism of those in power on the basis of our ideals,” he said.
His response followed Bhagwat’s remarks that India faced challenges from forces opposed to established institutions, cultural values and social order. The RSS chief said attempts to “dismantle” India would not succeed and argued that changing the government alone would not necessarily resolve the country’s problems.
Referring to developments in France, Albania, Bangladesh and Nepal, Bhagwat said societies worldwide were confronting forces seeking to undermine order, culture and human values.
“A storm has blown in from the West that opposes every form of order, propriety, auspiciousness, culture and human values, seeking to destroy, corrupt and ruin them. Even developed nations are affected by it,” Bhagwat said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also criticised the situation in the country while responding to Bhagwat’s remarks. He questioned the government’s economic policies, citing the privatisation of public sector enterprises and rising unemployment.
“The nation is being sold out, isn’t that a fact? Public sector enterprises are being privatised, isn’t that true? The number of unemployed people is constantly rising,” Sawant said, urging Bhagwat to reflect on the country’s condition and the people sharing the stage with him.
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