New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) The BJP on Thursday backed Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor Mazhar Asif’s remarks that all Indians share “Mahadev’s DNA”, saying the criticism over the statement reflects a “shrinking tolerance for civilisational ideas”.
In a post on X, BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya said interpreting Asif’s statement in a literal sense and then dismissing it as “unscientific” misses its broader meaning, asserting that such expressions in the Indian context are “civilisational metaphors” rather than “laboratory” claims.
“They reflect a shared ancestry, cultural continuity, and a collective consciousness shaped over millennia,” Malviya said.
A video clip of Asif has sparked controversy on social media over the remarks he made during a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-organised Yuva Kumbh event on Tuesday to commemorate the organisation’s 100th anniversary. At the event, Asif said, “The DNA of all Indians is linked to Lord Mahadev.” In the video, which PTI could not independently verify, the VC purportedly said, “Looking at everyone seated here, I do not believe that everyone shares the same mother tongue, upbringing or culture.
“Geographically speaking, and I am stating this in a geographical context, they may not even hail from the same region. Their religions, too, may differ. Yet, despite all this, we remain Indians. We are Indians because the DNA of Mahadev resides within our own DNA.” Malviya said Asif’s remarks are not divisive but unifying and echo a long-standing intellectual tradition, cutting across religious lines, that recognises India’s people as inheritors of a common civilisational legacy.
“Those rushing to label such expressions as ‘unscientific’ are applying the wrong lens. Civilisations are not built on scientific vocabulary alone; they are sustained by symbols, metaphors, and shared narratives that foster belonging,” he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader added that reducing everything to sterile literalism risks eroding precisely that sense of unity.
“Instead of manufacturing controversy, it would be wiser to understand the spirit in which the statement was made — a reminder that, despite differences, India’s roots remain deeply interconnected,” he said.
Referring to India’s historical and cultural evolution, Malviya said the country’s history has never been one of isolated identities but of deep intermingling.
He cited leaders, such as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Wahiduddin Khan, to argue that Indian Muslims are an inseparable part of the country’s composite culture, bound by the same land and ancestry as Hindus.
“Maulana Abul Kalam Azad consistently argued that Indian Muslims are an inseparable part of India’s composite culture, bound by the same land and ancestry as Hindus. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan reinforced this view, emphasising that conversion does not alter ethnicity or origins,” he claimed.
“Even Muhammad Iqbal, often referred to as Allama Iqbal, acknowledged India’s shared cultural heritage, describing Bhagwan Ram as ‘Imam-e-Hind’, a spiritual guide for the people of this land,” Malviya said. PTI ADI RC
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