The BJP on Thursday backed Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor Mazhar Asif's remarks that all Indians share "Mahadev's DNA", saying criticism of the statement reflects a "shrinking tolerance for civilisational ideas".
In a post on X, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said interpreting Asif's remarks literally and dismissing them as "unscientific" misses their broader meaning. He asserted 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 remarks he made during a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-organised Yuva Kumbh event on Tuesday to mark 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 all share the same mother tongue, upbringing or culture.
"Geographically speaking, 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 the remarks are not divisive but unifying, echoing a long-standing intellectual tradition that recognises India's people as inheritors of a shared 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 BJP leader added that reducing everything to literalism risks eroding 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 past has been shaped by deep intermingling rather than isolated identities.
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.