RSS Chief Rules Out Regime Change, Sees Global Conspiracy Behind Protests
Usually, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat expresses his opinion elliptically. His words have to be decoded to glean the underlying message. But on Tuesday morning, the RSS chief did not mince his words as he delivered his customary annual Vijayadashami (Dussehra) day address in Nagpur. As the head of the “cultural” organisation that has mentored the ruling BJP since its inception, the RSS chief ruled out “regime change” in India. He was alluding to the recent protests in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. Bhagwat went a step further. He saw a “global conspiracy” behind the recent developments and specifically named the “West” for the “storm that is coming in”. Bhagwat also spoke of the violent developments that have taken place in France, Albania, Nepal and Bangladesh, with India remaining the “ultimate target” of forces trying to destabilise the existing order. Bhagwat’s words showed that whatever the RSS’s recent reservations about the BJP leadership’s style of functioning, it is in sync with the party’s thinking on the recent protests, which were led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and the Opposition, particularly Congress. Rahul Gandhi has gone on to target the PM, HM, Bhagwat and Ajit Doval as the people who were running the present system. He demanded the resignations of the PM and HM and vowed to “destroy” (not replace) the BJP and RSS. Those who know the RSS chief say that he expresses the views of the Sangh and is not given to speaking impromptu. The RSS’s latest stand shows that on major issues, it has decided to be on the same page as its protégé, the BJP. Tension had crept into the BJP-RSS relationship during the 2024 general elections. Many attribute the BJP’s less-than-majority tally of 240 Lok Sabha seats to the RSS not coming to campaign for the party as vigorously as it used to. BJP chief J P Nadda’s words that the party no longer needed hand-holding by the RSS only complicated the relationship, for few bought the line that Nadda would say what he did on his own. In his 2024 Vijayadashami address, Bhagwat had spoken of Hindu unity, the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh and women’s safety, and launched an attack on “cultural Marxism”. This is not to say that Bhagwat let the BJP off completely in his Tuesday address. Sometimes, people lose trust in politicians, he said, but did not make a distinction between one lot of politicians and another. It is then that society has to take responsibility and that “includes us”(RSS). He also referred to the talk about India as “ vishwaguru ”. It is the “ nayi peedi ” (new generation) of leaders, he said, whose bodies and minds are healthy, who will have to accept this responsibility to make India a vishwaguru . The RSS’s invitation to former vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar to be the chief guest for the occasion raised many an eyebrow. Dhankhar has said very little about his dramatic exit from office in July 2025, and there is only speculation about his sudden resignation. The BJP may now decide to up the ante against the protesters, with the RSS chief backing the party line. When the CJP protest took place in June-July 2026 in what came to be known as Jantar Mantar-1, and following the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhagwat had adopted a softer line towards the protestors. He said the era of unquestioned “obedience” was over. He went on to engage with around 2,000 youth at the Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai with a view to reaching out to Gen Z. Now, the RSS chief suspects that the protests may have become a “tool of politics” used by forces seeking to “undermine Bharat”. The RSS cadre may now decide to wholeheartedly campaign for the BJP in the states going to the polls early next year, and that could be another upshot of Bhagwat’s Vijayadashami speech. By all accounts, the RSS has already knuckled down to work in Uttar Pradesh to ensure that Yogi Adityanath comes back to power. Many in the RSS see him as a leader who could play a national role and take the RSS’s “civilisational agenda” forward. A tougher line against the protestors will exert its own pressure on opposition parties, more than anything else, to close ranks, as it becomes an existential battle for them. The writer is contributing editor, The Indian Express
