In a stand that may widen the rift with Shiv Sena over the issue of north Indians living in Maharashtra, Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari on Monday said there was no conflict between regional and national identities and that his party did not believe in discrimination on this basis.
Arguing that Indians from all parts of the country had a right to live anywhere within Indian borders, Gadkari said the BJP was only opposed to special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.
Gadkari reinforced the RSS view on the Maharashtra issue.
"We respect as a ground reality that at a regional level there is tradition, heritage and language identity. But there is no conflict between regional and national identity. And so, we do not believe in any linguistic, religious or regional identity that discriminates or differentiates," the BJP President said.
He said BJP recognised the presence of different cultures and languages in India.
"BJP believes that there may be different languages and costumes (in various states) but it is one country," Gadkari said, adding, "Presence of any language, regional or religious identity in a place is also a fact in India...This is also the strength of India."
Gadkari maintained that Shiv Sena was an alliance partner and since both were independent parties, they could have differences over various issues.
The RSS and Sena are on a collision course over the migrants issue with Bal Thackeray's party telling the Sangh, which said Mumbai is for all Indians, that the western metropolis belongs to Marathis only.
The RSS had on Sunday said it would protect north Indians living in Maharashtra, a contention that brought the chasm between BJP and Shiv Sena, its ally in the state, out in the open.
Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have repeatedly targeted North Indians working in Maharashtra.
Another senior RSS leader Sheshadari Chari on Monday echoed the views of organsation's chief Mohan Bhagwat on the issue.
"Every Indian should be protected everywhere, not only on Indian soil but also outside it. If Indians are attacked in Australia, even there they require to be protected. So it is not a question of North Indians being protected in Maharashtra and South Indians being protected in Delhi," he said.
Sheshadri insisted that RSS was opposed to this idea of 'segregating the people on basis of community, caste, religion or language' as it amounts to dividing them.
Responding to Bhagwat's remarks, Sena leader Manohar Joshi had on Sunday said, "The time has come to remind RSS that Mumbai belongs to Marathi people only."
