New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Favouring a strong response to the Pahalgam terror attack, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday, in a veiled manner, said non-violence is part of India's ethos but teaching a lesson to a tormentor is also our duty.

Speaking at the release of the book 'The Hindu Manifesto' at a function organised at the Prime Minister's Museum, Bhagwat said a sovereign is under the obligation to discipline the evil-minded and protect his subjects.

“The sovereign must and will perform his duty,” he said in what appeared to be an indirect indication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to rise to the occasion and give Pakistan a befitting reply for the Pahalgam terror attack which left 26 dead on April 22.

Bhagwat also invoked scriptures and mythology to justify the slaying of evil by God, claiming that teaching a lesson to a repeat offender does not amount to violence but a religious duty.

The RSS chief, without mentioning Pakistan, said India has the tradition of not troubling its neighbours, but it is left with few options if someone commits a misdeed.

“Our culture has been to give a chance to an offender, including an enemy, to reform – even without punishing them. But a sovereign is left with no option if the other person refuses to change or give up misdeeds,” he said.

The Gita preaches non-violence, but at the time of Mahabharata Arjun was advised by Lord Krishna to take up arms and vanquish the evil and wrongdoers, he said, justifying the need for use of force under special circumstances.

Earlier, he had said said terrorists killed people in Pahalgam after asking about their religion, and Hindus would never do such a thing.

"We hope for a strong response," he said at a public event here three days after 26 people died in the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

The author of the book released by Bhagwat is Vishwa Hindu Congress founder Swami Vijnanananda.

This book presents a transformative approach towards prosperity, good governance and justice in modern times, which is based on the principles of Dharma, the eternal knowledge of ancient Hindu texts like Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Arthashastra and Shukranitisara.