New Delhi, 23 December 2025: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Mahmood Madani has strongly criticized the statement of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) Dattatreya Hosabale, in which he has suggested Muslims to worship the Sun, River and Tree. Maulana Madani said that Hindus and Muslims have been living together in this country for centuries and the belief of Tauheed of Muslims and their method of worship is not hidden from any sensible person. Despite this, it is extremely unfortunate that people holding top positions in the Sangh, including an educated person like Hosabale, have not made any effort to understand Islam and Muslims seriously till date.

Maulana Madani clarified that Tauheed (belief in one God and worship of Him alone) and Aqeedah of Risalat are the basic pillars of Islam. If there is even the slightest deviation from these, no person can remain a Muslim. He said that “loving and protecting the soil and nature of this country” and “worshiping it” are two completely different things. Inviting Indian Muslims who believe in Tauheed to worship trees, earth, sun, sea or river besides God is proof that the Sangh has failed to understand and explain the fundamental difference between ‘beloved’ and ‘worshipped’. It also shows that the Sangh does not have the ability to guide the country ideologically and practically, or that it is not willing to take this responsibility seriously.

Maulana Madani said that Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has always made continuous efforts for goodwill, dialogue and mutual respect. We have moved forward and tried to remove the misconceptions about Islam and Muslims in the minds of the Sangh and other Hindutva elements. In the same sequence, the former Sarsanghchalak of the Sangh in the past. S. Dialogue also took place with Sudarshan and other responsible people, and even today Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind is ready for talks.

But it has to be said with great regret that instead of responding positively to this well-intentioned initiative, some Sangh officials are increasingly adopting a more aggressive and provocative attitude, so much so that they are trying to impose their own method of worship on followers of other religions against their beliefs and convictions, which is not acceptable in any way.

Maulana Madani bluntly said that Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has a clear and principled opinion that the foundation of the nation in India is ‘Watan’. All citizens living in this country—regardless of their religion or ideology—are one nation. In our view, nationhood is to land, whereas the Sangh wants to base the concept of nation on the Hindu community and a particular cultural thinking.

Maulana Madani, quoting Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, said that Dr. Ambedkar himself has accepted the truth that many cultures exist in India, not just one Hindu culture. In such a situation, neither any one culture nor any one community can become the basis of nationalism. The only common foundation of the nation is the country and all its citizens.

Maulana Madani stressed that for nation building, development and making India a developed nation, it is necessary to strengthen national unity and communal harmony. For this, effective and concrete steps should be taken towards serious dialogue, mutual respect and protection of constitutional values.