Why shouldn't Modi eat with Nawaz Sharif, RSS leader defends lunch meeting with Pak PM

RSS' joint general secretary Dattatraya Hosbole said in Indore on Sunday that his organization didn't think that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a mistake in lunching at the residence of his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Lahore last month.

The statement by the senior RSS functionary defending PM Modi's decision to visit the neighbouring country came on a day when Pakistani terrorists attacked IAF base in Pathankot.

"Why shouldn't Modi eat with Nawaz Sharif We don't oppose this. We believe the whole world is one family and it's our duty that we behave well (with others). This is India's religion, this religion should be followed," Mr Hosbole said speaking to reporters at Vishwa Sangh Shivir in Indore.

"The National Security Adviser of India is capable of dealing with the issue of terrorism. We have full confidence that he would deal with the issue in the right way," the RSS leader added.

Mr Hosbole further said "one has to use various means such as persuasion-purchase-punish- exploitation of division ('saam-daam-dand-bhed') as per the circumstances. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee undertook bus journey to Lahore but the Kargil war too was fought during his tenure."

The RSS leader also praised PM Modi for getting Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to attend Ganga-aarati in Varanasi during his visit to India.

"The heads of all the prominent countries visit other countries to develop diplomatic ties. But the Prime Minister of India, an RSS volunteer that he is...also got the Prime Minister of another country to perform Ganga-aarati in India," Mr Hosbole said.

To a question on Nepal, he said RSS wanted good relations with that country.

"Nepalis live in India in large numbers. But in the last five months (during the political logjam in that country which has strained the bilateral ties), no Nepali has been harmed in India. Nor have the Indians living in Nepal come to any harm. Nepal is witnessing a political strife such as every country witnesses," he said.