Mangaluru: Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat suggested that "Hindus should keep swords and knives at home. He claimed that during Hindu-Muslim clashes, Hindus used to flee, but that is changing now, PTI reported.
Speaking on Monday at an event in Varkady of Manjeshwaram, in Kerala's Kasaragod district, Bhat claimed, “Every Hindu household should keep a sword. If Hindus had shown a sword during the Pahalgam attack, that would have been enough.”
He also urged women to carry knives in their vanity bags alongside the usual items they carry.
The RSS leader claimed that carrying a six-inch knife does not require a 'licence' and added, “If you're out after dusk, there is every chance of an attack. Don't plead with attackers—just show the knife, and they will run away.”
His comments have drawn attention to social media and political circles.
Referring to past communal tensions, Bhat claimed, “Earlier, during Hindu-Muslim clashes, Hindus used to flee. That's changing now. We must rise, and everyone must keep a sword at home.” There has been no official police statement on the remarks thus far.
Recently, a video showing senior West Bengal BJP leader Dilip Ghosh calling for Hindus to keep weapons at home for protection has stirred a controversy, drawing sharp criticism from the ruling Trinamool Congress, which termed it "provocative".
"Hindus are buying television sets, refrigerators and new furniture. But they don't have a single weapon at home. When something happens, they keep calling the police. The police will not save you," Ghosh, a former state BJP chief, was heard saying at a public rally in North 24 Parganas district about the recent Murshidabad violence.