Washington, Aug. 30 -- Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat called for India's diversity to be respected and protected even as he stressed his organisation's efforts to reach out to other religious communities at an event in New York City. "It (diversity) has to be accepted, it has to be respected and it has to be protected. As I protect my own specific nature, I have to protect others also. Because diversity is the rule of nature and unity is the truth behind nature," Bhagwat stressed ahead of his rally at New York's Madison Square Garden. The RSS chief-who is on a three-nation tour linked to the organisation's centenary celebrations-acknowledged that India's unique history of openness to all religious denominations had led to some frictions over time. "In Bharat people of all denominations live. Because Bharat has traditionally been giving shelter to everybody. So those who could not find a safe place in the world, they came to Bharat and they found a place. That is the history. So everybody lives. But due to these things, there are certain disturbances," he said, while adding that the RSS saw its role as stressing the fundamental unity of all religious groups. Bhagwat's visit to the United States sparked opposition, including from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and members of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Civil society groups in the US accused the RSS of promoting religious discrimination and violence against Muslim and Christian minorities in India The RSS chief directly addressed those concerns during his Saturday event, saying, "If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu. If you want to call yourself Hindu, you must believe that all paths are leading to the same goal." He recalled his assurances to members of India's Muslim minority during a 2018 event in New Delhi. Yet, Bhagwat asserted that he did not see politics as the primary way of promoting unity among religious groups. The RSS chief stressed that India's leaders as well as the Indian constitution had emphasised unity. "But that is not happening. Because these things do not happen through politics. I'm sorry to say but the fact is politics has now become a game of self-interest," he added, stressing that the RSS had chosen to focus on educating society including by starting a dialogue with Muslim and Christian religious groups....