Applications to join RSS increase from 378 to 1,779 after Pranab Mukherjee's Nagpur speech

Although former President Pranab Mukherjee had faced flak for his decision to address thousands of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) volunteers, his trip to Nagpur has resulted in more number of applications to join the organisation, reports The Times of India.

“On an average, we had 378 applications per day between June 1-6 on the Sangh’s website. But on June 7, the number shot up to 1,779 and the largest chunk was from Bengal,” said an RSS member from Bengal.

RSS also sent a letter to Mukherjee, thanking him for his visit and the speech despite “opposition from his own people”.

The letter from Sangh saha sarkaryavah Manmohan Vaidya lauded Mukherjee’s opinion about “one India” and “Indian culture”. It was sent to the former president’s residence on Monday.

"His simplicity touched everyone," he wrote. Throughout the letter, Vaidya addressed Mukherjee as ‘Pranabbabu’, adding that the outlook of Mukherjee and Mohan Bhagwat is similar. In the end, he also mentioned the spurt in people’s interest in joining the Sangh.

While addressing RSS recruits on June 7, Mukherjee had said, “We derive our strength from tolerance. We accept and respect our pluralism. We celebrate our diversity. Any attempt at defining our nationhood in terms of dogmas and identities of religion, region, hatred and intolerance will only lead to dilution of our national identity,” he said.

“India’s nationhood is not one language, one religion.  It is perennial universalism of 1.3 billion people who use more than 122 languages and 1,600 dialects, practice seven major religions and belong to three major ethnic groups, live under one system, one flag and one identity of being Bhartiya,” Mukherjee added.