Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday claimed his organisation had been targeted for the last 90 years, PTI reported. He was responding to a question about the row sparked by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s poll promise in Maharashtra to confer Bharat Ratna on Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

“There is no need to worry as the society is one and will always be one,” the RSS chief said after casting his vote in Nagpur’s Mahal area. “It is politics, all this is part of it.”

Bhagwat urged citizens to vote, saying it was their responsibility to elect their public representatives. “Every election is important and 100% voters’ turnout should be there,” ANI quoted him as saying. “People should vote in keeping their issues in mind.”

Voting began at 7 am on Monday in 288 Assembly constituencies in the state. It is expected to go on till 6 pm. The results are scheduled to be declared on October 24. The recorded a voter turnout of 43% till 4 pm.

For more on the elections:

Assembly elections: Over 50% voting in Haryana till 4 pm, 43% in Maharashtra

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