RSS supporter defends Heptullah, says 'Bharatiya' and 'Hindu' are synonymous terms

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) supporter Professor Rakesh Sinha on Friday voiced his support for Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptullah, saying she has expressed the truth about Indian culture and civilization.

Heptullah was earlier reportedly quoted as saying that there is nothing wrong in calling 'all Indians as Hindus'. However, she later claimed that she was misquoted.

"What Najma Heptullah has said is correct, she has expressed the truth about Indian culture and civilization. The terms 'Bharatiya' and 'Hindu' are synonyms, if you are calling yourself a 'Bharatiya' then you are calling yourself a Hindu," Professor Sinha told ANI.

"Hindu is the cultural identity of all Indians. If someone is trying to avoid the term Hindu then he might have misunderstood that the term Hindu is religious whereas in truth the word Hindu is a cultural expression. I think that Indian Muslims should have no objection to being called as Hindus," he added.

Professor Sinha further said he thinks that the term 'Hindu' is a universal term.

"If you are dishonouring the term Hindu then you are dishonouring the civilization and cultural legacy of India," he added.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra attempted to downplay the controversy surrounding Heptullah's comment, saying it should not be seen with a religious angle.

"I think what Najmaji meant was cultural unity of India and these issues should not be seen with a religious angle, unity in diversity is the ethos of this country. We should all believe in that," Patra said.

Earlier in the day, Heptullah rejected the allegations that she had endorsed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's view that 'all Indians are Hindus and their cultural identity is Hindutva'. Justifying her stand, she said it was a 'mistake by the reporter' on her usage of the term 'Hindu' in an interview to a newspaper.

The chief Imam of All India Imam Organisation, Umar Ahmed Ilyasi, on his part said that it was not wrong to identify the people of the region with the name of their land.