Dr Mohan Bhagwat
RSS Chief Rebuts Age Rule, Eases Modi’s Age Debate
New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief, Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, dispelled a month-long controversy sparked by his July remarks about a 75-year retirement anecdote at a press conference here today.
Addressing speculation that his comments hinted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepping down upon turning 75 on September 17, 2025, Bhagwat stated he “never said I will retire or someone should retire,” emphasising that RSS workers serve as long as needed, even into their 80s.
This statement, made during the RSS’s centenary celebrations, significantly bolsters Modi’s position as Prime Minister, quashing the Opposition-driven narratives and highlighting the intricate dynamics of ideology, leadership, and political manoeuvring in India’s democracy, where a historical anecdote can ignite national debates.
The controversy originated on July 9, 2025, at a Nagpur event launching Moropant Pingle: The Architect of Hindu Resurgence, a biography of Moropant Pingle, a prominent RSS leader who died in 1987. Bhagwat recounted a decades-old incident from an RSS meeting in Vrindavan, likely in the 1980s, where Pingle, upon turning 75, was honoured with a shawl by RSS members and humorously remarked, “You gave this shawl to me at 75, but I know its meaning. Now your time is up, step aside and let us do the work.”
Switching from Marathi to Hindi for emphasis, Bhagwat shared this to highlight Pingle’s humility, not to propose a retirement policy. Pingle was a key figure in the RSS and the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, and the anecdote’s timing—weeks before Bhagwat’s own 75th birthday on September 11, 2025, and Modi’s—prompted misinterpretations that it signalled a call for leadership transitions within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the RSS’s political affiliate.
Bhagwat’s July 9 remark’s ambiguity fuelled a political firestorm, amplified by historical precedent. In 2014, under Modi’s leadership, BJP veterans like L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Jaswant Singh were shifted to the advisory Margdarshak Mandal around age 75, establishing an informal benchmark. Opposition leaders seized on this, portraying Bhagwat’s anecdote as a subtle nudge for Modi to retire. Congress’s Jairam Ramesh suggested on social media that Modi and Bhagwat could “guide each other” post-retirement, while Pawan Khera urged Modi to follow the “rule” he applied to predecessors. Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut highlighted the sidelining of Advani and others, questioning Modi’s consistency. Samajwadi Party and other INDIA bloc members echoed this, framing the remark as evidence of RSS pressure on Modi, especially after the BJP’s 2024 Lok Sabha election tally of 240 seats forced reliance on coalition partners like the Telugu Desam Party and Janata Dal (United). The Opposition’s strategy reflected a bid to exploit perceived vulnerabilities in Modi’s leadership, particularly as the BJP navigates coalition dynamics and upcoming state elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi.
The controversy also tapped into broader debates about ageism in Indian politics, where, unlike the judiciary or bureaucracy with mandatory retirement ages, no formal limits exist for elected officials. The BJP’s past use of an informal 75-year benchmark, contrasted with its apparent inapplicability to Modi, provided fodder for accusations of double standards, sustaining the issue’s relevance. Media and social platforms amplified the narrative and labelled it a “political row,” with analyses speculating on succession scenarios involving Amit Shah or Yogi Adityanath. Social media posts debated whether the remark signalled RSS-BJP tensions or a push for generational change, with some unsubstantiated claims of jealousy dismissed by RSS sources. The RSS’s centenary year added symbolic weight, framing Bhagwat’s statements within a narrative of the organisation’s enduring influence.
RSS and BJP leaders countered swiftly. A senior RSS functionary clarified that the anecdote was about Pingle’s humility, not a directive for anyone, including Modi. Senior RSS leader Ram Madhav explicitly denied targeting Modi, while BJP’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule stressed no formal 75-year rule exists, asserting Modi’s leadership until 2029. These defences framed the controversy as a politically motivated misreading, accusing the opposition of manufacturing division.
Bhagwat’s August 28 press conference apparently provided a definitive resolution. Addressing pre-submitted questions about the “75-year limit” and its link to Modi, he clarified that he was quoting Pingle’s “witticism” from decades ago, not advocating retirement. He stated, “In Sangh, we are given a job, whether we want it or not. If I am 80 years old and Sangh wants me to run a shakha, I will,” emphasising duty over age. Bhagwat also underscored that the RSS advises but does not dictate BJP decisions, reinforcing that leadership choices, including Modi’s tenure, are the party’s prerogative.
For Modi, this clarification has significant implications. It dismantles the Opposition’s narrative by removing Bhagwat’s remark as a credible pressure point, affirming that no RSS-mandated retirement age exists. With Modi actively engaged in governance and diplomacy, his leadership appears secure, tied to health, electoral mandate, and party consensus.
The clarification also strengthens the BJP’s unity narrative amid coalition challenges, reducing perceptions of RSS interference.
However, the episode highlights enduring sensitivities around Modi’s centralised leadership and the BJP’s coalition dynamics post-2024. While the clarification tempers immediate speculation, succession debates may persist due to Modi’s age and electoral pressures, though there are no suggestions of an imminent exit.
The episode’s broader significance lies in its reflection of Indian politics’ complexities. The rapid escalation of a historical anecdote about Pingle into a national controversy underscores the potency of age, power, and institutional relationships as political flashpoints. The RSS’s ideological influence, the BJP’s coalition navigation, and the Opposition’s strategic opportunism converge to shape public narratives, ensuring that such issues remain critical as India approaches future electoral tests. In this light, Bhagwat’s comments, “International trade should happen as per our will, not under pressure”, assume significance.
– global bihari bureau
