RSS chief says LGBTQ community remains an integral part of society

The record

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RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said at an event in Telangana that the LGBTQ+ community is an integral part of Indian society and should not be ostracised.
He said some people are born that way while others realise it later in life, and that Indian tradition has long acknowledged the community, giving them their own deities, shrines, and even Mahamandaleshwars who take part in the Kumbh Mela.
He also commented on gender roles, saying neither men nor women can do everything alone and that marriage should not trap women 'as slaves'.
The remarks matter because they come from the head of the RSS, an organisation with major influence over India's ruling establishment.

Whether other RSS and BJP leaders echo or distance themselves from Bhagwat's remarks
Any link between the statement and ongoing legal or policy debates on LGBTQ+ rights, such as marriage equality
Reactions from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and opposition parties

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Named India · Telangana · ANI · LGBTQ+ community · Mohan Bhagwat · RSS

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