BJP’s National Secretary Ram Madhav made an embarrassing remark when he accidentally referred to Al Jazeera presenter Mehdi Hasan and ISIS with the line ‘Your ISIS...’ during a 47 minute long interview. The remark led to hollering and booing from the audience gathered at Oxford Union in Oxford University.
The programme containing Madhav’s comments was apparently recorded in London before the prime minister’s surprise visit to Pakistan on Christmas day.
Hasan tweeted the gaffe, soon after the interview was aired on 25th December.
While Madhav’s comment predictably earned him loads of criticism on Twitter, some gave him the benefit of doubt.
Ram Madhav, BJP general secretary on lien from RSS, confirmed that RSS believes that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will one day reunite again not by war but through “popular goodwill”.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) still believes that one day these parts, which have for historical reasons separated only 60 years ago, will again, through popular goodwill, come together and Akhand Bharat will be created.Ram Madhav, BJP General Secretary
In talks with Al Jazeera, a Doha-based channel, the BJP general secretary said, “As an RSS member, I also hold on to that view.” He, however, clarified, saying, “That does not mean we wage war on any country...we annex any country. Without war, through popular consent, it can happen.”
Madhav’s comments can be seen towards the end of the interview here.
India is a land where a particular way of life, a particular culture or civilisation, is practised. We call it Hindu - do you have any objection? India has one culture. We are one culture, one people, one nation.Ram Madhav, BJP General Secretary
Madhav said the RSS ideology is for the supremacy of India and the organisation is neither “fascist” nor “aggressive”.