‘Language gives them away’: RSS chief says citizens could ‘detect and report’ foreigners

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that citizens could “detect and report illegal infiltrators” to the authorities, remarking that their “language gives them away”.

The RSS is the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Bhagwat was speaking at an event in Mumbai to mark the organisation's centenary. He did not specify which language he was referring to.

However, since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the police in several states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party have been detaining Bengali-speaking persons – mostly Muslims – and asking them to prove that they are Indian citizens.

Several persons have been forced into Bangladesh after they allegedly could not prove their Indian citizenship. In some cases, persons who were mistakenly sent to Bangladesh returned to the country after state authorities in India proved that they were Indians.

On Sunday, the RSS chief said that while the government “has a lot to do regarding infiltrations”, citizens should “inform the police that we suspect these people are foreigners, and they should investigate and keep an eye on them, and we will also keep an eye on them”.

He also said that detection and deportation of suspected foreigners has “started little by little, and it will gradually increase”.

“When the census or the SIR [special intensive revision of electoral rolls] is conducted, many people come to light who are not citizens of this country,” said Bhagwat. “They are automatically excluded from the process.”

But citizens “should be a little more vigilant and aware”, he added.

Also read: Son declared Indian, but father, uncle and aunt pushed into Bangladesh

The special intensive revision of electoral rolls is underway in 12 states and Union Territories.

In Bihar, where the revision was completed ahead of the Assembly polls in November, at least 47 lakh voters were excluded from the final electoral roll.

Concerns had been raised after the announcement in Bihar that the exercise could remove eligible voters from the roll. Several petitioners have moved the Supreme Court against it.

The Election Commission has defended the voter roll revision as a clean-up exercise to remove names of the deceased, duplicate entries and undocumented migrants.

India will conduct its population census, including caste enumeration, in two phases in 2027.

The last decennial census exercise was held in 2011. In 2020, India was set to begin the first phase of the exercise – in which housing data is collected – but it had to be delayed as the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Will step down whenever asked to: Bhagwat

Bhagwat also said on Sunday that he would step down as RSS chief whenever the organisation asks him to, The Indian Express reported.

“There is no election to the post of RSS chiefs,” he said. “Regional and divisional heads appoint the chief. Generally, it is said that after turning 75, one should work without holding any post.”

He said he had informed the RSS that he had turned 75 and claimed “the organisation asked me to continue working”.

Bhagwat added that the organisation had never faced a situation where someone had to be retired, saying it “extracts work till the last drop of blood from its volunteer”.