Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Thursday that caste politics is present in India because people vote on the basis of caste, The Indian Express reported.

“The ethical practices of the society are reflected in the politics of the country,” Bhagwat said at a conference on “Nationalism and Ethical Practices in Business” at the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai. “For example, I don’t want to use caste politics but I am compelled to use it because the society votes based on caste.”

A person can change the system only if they stay in power, he added. “So if the society changes, the politics of the country will also change, not vice-versa.”

The RSS chief said that company owners should run their business ethically. “Any business should not just benefit the owner. It should benefit others, too, and the country. It should generate employment,” Bhagwat said. “I am not against technology, and business owners have to look at automation and mechanisation to run a business.” However, he added, they should be mindful of the welfare of the workers that run the company.

Bhagwat added that if people took responsibility for their own actions, there would be no need for government control. “That government is best which governs the least,” Bhagwat said. “If people do what they want keeping in mind the national interest, then there is no need for government regulations.”

The RSS chief added that every Indian has the freedom to follow the religion of his or her choice, and that all Indians ultimately have the same ethics.