Union minister Ramdas Athawale, an ally of the BJP, on Friday condemned Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat for his statement that the Sangh regards 130 crore people of India as Hindu, irrespective of their religion and culture.

"It is not right to say that all Indians are Hindus. There was a time when everyone was a Buddhist in our country. If Mohan Bhagwat means everyone is an Indian, then it is good. In our country, people are from Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Christian, Parsi, Jain, Lingayat faiths and different communities live here," the Union Minister of State for Social Justice was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Speaking at an RSS meeting in Hyderabad, Bhagwat had said, "The son of mother India, whether he may speak any language, from any region, follow any form of worship or not believing in worship of any, is a Hindu...In this regard, for Sangh all the 130 crore people of India is Hindu society."

"The whole society is ours and the Sangh aims to build this kind of united society," Bhagwat said, adding that the country is "Hindutvavadi" by tradition.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also lashed out at Bhagwat for his remark, saying, "RSS wants India to have just one religion. But that will not happen until the Constitution made by BR Ambedkar exists. This land believes in all religions."