Former President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said Mahatma Gandhi was highly impressed by the absence of caste-based discrimination in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as he urged young Indians to step into politics to strengthen democracy, news agency PTI reported.

Addressing the RSS’ annual Vijayadashmi rally at Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur as the chief guest, Kovind said the organisation has stood for social equality and harmony since its inception in 1925. The rally this year also marked the centenary celebrations of the RSS.