'Absolutely Wrong To Say RSS Decides Everything', Bhagwat On Whether Sangh Decides On BJP President
He addressed a question and answer session to mark the centenary celebrations of the RSS.
By ANI
Published : August 28, 2025 at 11:16 PM IST
New Delhi: On the third day of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh centenary celebrations in Delhi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday dismissed the claims that the Sangh decides on the president post for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that it was "absolutely wrong".
Responding to whether the RSS decides the BJP president, Bhagwat said, "It is absolutely wrong to say that the RSS decides everything. We can give advice, but decisions are made in that field itself. If we were deciding, would it take so long? Take your time."
He further clarified that there are no issues of conflict.
"We may have differences of opinion, but not differences of hearts," he said.
On opposition from political parties towards the RSS, Bhagwat recalled, "Initially, Jayaprakash Narayan was against the RSS, but later he came closer to us. Those who seek our help for good work receive it, while those who keep away don't. What can we do?"
He narrated an incident from Nagpur, where the NSUI convention had 30,000 participants but no food arrangements.
"Plates were thrown, chaos broke out, and fights happened in the market. Eventually, a call came from the local Congress MP, and we took over the mess arrangements to resolve their issue. At that time, I was the RSS pracharak in Nagpur," Bhagwat said.
During the interaction, he also mentioned former President Pranab Mukherjee.
Bhagwat said, "He too came to the RSS stage. Whatever misconceptions he had were cleared. Anyone's heart can change. One should not dismiss the possibility of transformation. Leadership should always be transparent and clean. People must have faith that our leadership is transparent and clean."
He also said Islam will always have a place in India and made a strong pitch for Hindus and Muslims to have mutual trust in each other, stating, "The idea that Islam will not remain is not Hindu thinking. Both Hindus and Muslims need to have mutual trust in each other."
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