Owaisi Questions RSS Role in Freedom Struggle, Claims Hedgewar Went to Jail for Khilafat Movement

New Delhi, January 13:
AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday raised questions about the RSS’s role in India’s independence movement, claiming that its founder Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was jailed not for opposing British rule, but for supporting the Khilafat Movement, a purely religious movement led by Indian Muslims.

Speaking at a rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, ahead of municipal elections, Owaisi criticized the RSS and the BJP, alleging that they promote a Hindutva agenda while distorting historical facts. He questioned, “Is there any RSS leader who was jailed while fighting the British?”

Hedgewar and the Khilafat Movement

Owaisi pointed out that while the RSS claims that Hedgewar went to jail for nationalist activities, he was actually imprisoned in support of the Khilafat Movement. He said, “Today they (RSS) spread hatred against Muslims, but during the freedom struggle, no RSS member sacrificed their life fighting the British.”

He also cited Yusuf Mehr Ali, a socialist leader from Mumbai, known for slogans like ‘India Quit’ and ‘Simon Go Back’, highlighting the contributions of other leaders in the independence struggle. Owaisi alleged that the RSS not only lacks understanding of history but also mislabels others as foreigners or Bangladeshis.

About the Khilafat Movement

The Khilafat Movement (1919–1924) was a religious campaign led by Indian Muslims to pressure the British government to preserve the authority of the Ottoman Caliph after World War I. Though it coincided with the Non-Cooperation Movement, its objectives were largely religious rather than nationalist, and its support became a matter of debate during India’s freedom struggle.

Owaisi’s remarks underscore ongoing debates about the historical interpretation of the RSS’s involvement in India’s independence movement, drawing attention to the intersections of religion, politics, and historical narratives.