Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, his deputy Eknath Shinde and other legislators of the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena visited the memorial of RSS founder K B Hedgewar in Nagpur. NCP legislators, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, skipped the visit.
There was much speculation on a likely meeting between Bhagwat and Adityanath, especially in the backdrop of the BJP's recent electoral reverses in Uttar Pradesh.
Bhagwat said India's concept of 'rashtra' is ancient, organic and fundamentally different from the Western idea of a nation.
He said terrorists crossed the border and killed 26 Indians after checking their religion in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, which drew a fitting response from the country, referring to Operation Sindoor.
Praising Mohan Bhagwat for his intellectual depth and empathetic leadership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that his tenure as the head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since 2009 will be considered the most transformative period in its 100-year journey.
The future of India will be shaped and decided by the choices the RSS makes now, argues Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat at the RSS office in Mumbai on Monday, August 1, 2022.
"Good countries of the world have all kinds of thoughts. They also have all kinds of systems, and they are growing with this multitude of systems," he added.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will mark its centenary year with events beginning from Vijayadashami on October 2, which will include an address by its chief Mohan Bhagwat in the presence of former president Ramnath Kovind who will be the chief guest.
Priyank Kharge accused the RSS of money laundering, demanding transparency in their financial dealings and questioning their exemption from laws applicable to other organizations.
Glimpses of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya during the Dhwajarohan (flag hoisting) ceremony in Ayodhya, November 25, 2025.
The NDA government has gradually nuanced its position on the issue of demographic challenge.
He emphasised the need to get over with election rhetoric and focus on problems facing the nation.
Dhirendra Shastri, head of Bageshwar Dham, has apologised for his remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj after facing backlash in Maharashtra. He claimed his comments were twisted on social media and clarified his stance on dedicating children to the RSS.
'The RSS, that advocated military strength, remained in the ideological doghouse for over half a century. Many of the RSS' responses even today carry the burden of this past,' points out Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'...to build a consensus, not conflict or struggle.'
The RSS chief also noted that those who eat non-vegetarian food in India follow rules and desist from eating it during the Hindu month of Shravan and on Thursdays.
The Congress party has criticized the BJP's appointment of Nitin Nabin as its new president, questioning the election process and mocking the role of the Election Commissioner.
"Which foreign powers may be interested in taking advantage of unrest and instability in Manipur? Does the geopolitics of south east Asia also have a role in these events," he asked.
'This is just the beginning. You have to wait and watch to see things getting better.'
'It is something like traditional Indian families.' 'The family might be run by younger people, but if the patriarch says that you should consider someone for some task, it is very difficult for the others to ignore it.'
During the visit, the PM will lay the foundation stone of the extension building of Madhav Netralaya Premium Centre, he said.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday sought to quell the suggestions of its rift with the Bharatiya Janata Party and that Mohan Bhagwat's recent critical references related to the Lok Sabha polls were aimed at the ruling party, insisting that such claims are just speculation meant to create confusion.
Bhagwat said, "The simple truth is this, Hindusthan should remain Hindusthan. There is no harm to the Muslims living today in Bharat... Islam has nothing to fear. But at the same time, Muslims must abandon their boisterous rhetoric of supremacy."
Rahul Gandhi engaged with German think-tanks and addressed the Hertie School in Berlin, discussing India's trajectory, democracy, and global cooperation. He also addressed the Indian community, emphasizing the importance of truth and democratic values.
One leader cannot face all the challenges before this country and a single organisation or party cannot bring about change, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said in Nagpur on Tuesday.
The latest issue of "Organiser", an RSS-linked magazine, has argued that the ongoing dispute over the Shri Harihar Mandir in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, is not about religious supremacy but about seeking "civilisational justice" by uncovering historical truth. The editorial, penned by Prafulla Ketkar, editor of "Organiser", contends that the debate should not be limited to a Hindu-Muslim perspective but should encompass a wider discussion on historical truths and social justice. The magazine further criticizes the Congress's handling of caste and religious issues, accusing it of whitewashing historical injustices and promoting a false narrative about Mughal rulers.
Expressing concern over declining population growth, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR), the average number of children a woman gives birth to in her lifetime, should be at least 3, well above the present one of 2.1.
Terming the reports in the media as attempts to deliberately bring a bad name to the nation and the organization in particular, RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav said, "Mohan Bhagwat ji never said what has been attributed to him. The RSS firmly believes that marriage is religious in nature. It is sacrosanct. We are not against women taking part in the uplift of the country."
'Mr Modi has the power and pre-eminence in the BJP-RSS to choose how long he wants to serve, and he is definitely going to want to contest in 2029.' 'He will only be 79, as old as Donald Trump now, and fitter,' observes Shekhar Gupta.
'Mohanji is a living example of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, showing that when we rise above boundaries and consider everyone as our own, it strengthens trust, brotherhood and equality in society.'
"But I am not talking about any competition -- about more than them, less than them," the RSS chief added quickly.
'The idol was not being worshipped for years. We decided to immerse it respectfully in the Ganga.'
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat expressed concern over the resurgence of temple-mosque disputes and asserted that certain individuals, after the construction of Ayodhya's Ram Temple, seem to believe they can become "leaders of Hindus" by raking up such issues. He advocated for an inclusive society and said the world needs to be shown that India can live together in harmony.
Jaffer said minorities should not have any fear or crisis of confidence over Bhagwat's name being considered for the coveted post.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's visit to a mosque and his meeting with the head of an organisation of imams were not a deviation from the outfit's line, its senior leader Indresh Kumar said on Friday.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday defended the controversial statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat about every citizen of India being a Hindu, and said his father, the late Bal Thackeray, held similar views.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday, met with many Muslim intellectuals including Chief Imam Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi.
From a modest start with baithaks of a handful of swayamsevaks in a small town in Nagpur, the RSS, which completes 100 years of its foundation on Thursday, has come a long way to become the world's biggest voluntary organisation with a pan-India presence, shaping the country's political and social discourse.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation chief K Radhakrishnan will be the chief guest at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's annual 'Vijayadashami' event on October 12 in Nagpur.
