Mohan Bhagwat’s ‘retirement at 75’ comment sparks political controversy

New Delhi

Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent statement that leaders should step aside at 75, has stroked a political controversy with Congress and Opposition leaders linking it as a ‘hint’ for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is turning 75 in September.

During a book launch on senior RSS leader Moropant Pingle in Nagpur on July 9, Mr Bhagwat shared a stance of a Sangh meeting that held in Vrindavan in which Mr Pingle was felicitate with a stole for turning 75 years of age.

Quoting Mr Pingle from that event, Mr Bhagwat said that when he was asked to speak at the stage, he stood up and said, “people start laughing at me when I stands…..Because I feel that people are not taking me seriously…..you gave this shawl to me at the age of 75, but I know its meaning. When a shawl is draped at the age of 75, it means that now you have grown old, now just move aside, let us do it. Everything was done with that feeling in mind for his pride, but he was careful not to get attached to that pride.”

Reacting to Mr Bhagwat’s comment, Congress MP and secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Poor award-winning Prime Minister! What a homecoming — reminded by the RSS chief upon return that he will turn 75 on September 17, 2025,” Mr Ramesh wrote on X.

Suggesting a way out for the Prime Minister, Mr Ramesh added, “but the Prime Minister could also tell the RSS chief that — he too will turn 75 on September 11, 2025! One arrow, two targets.”

Congress leader Pawan Khera also said that how both Mr Bhagwat and Mr Modi can ‘pick up the bag and guide each other.’

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut alleged that Mr. Modi ‘forced’ leaders like L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Jaswant Singh to retire after they turned 75.

“Let’s see if he applies the same rule to himself now,” he added.

Refuting that Mr Bhagwat’s statement is a ‘hint’ for Prime Minister, a senior RSS functionary told The Hindu that his statement was blown out of ‘context’ and ‘proportion’.

“Bhagwat ji never said anything on retirement age. He was just quoiting one of the instances about Mr Pingle. In his long speech, he also shared several other instances where the humour and intelligence of Mr Pingle touched him. It has nothing to do with anyone else,” he said.

This is not the first time that any RSS chief has spoken about retirement age for the leaders.

K Sudarshan, the fifth chief of the RSS who had announced his retirement at 78, too has proposed senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders L.K. Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee to retire at 75 and ‘give way to others’.