&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Did Mohan Bhagwat ask PM Modi to retire? RSS chief explains his retirement at 75 comment - Here's what he said")
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has clarified his recent comments on retiring at the age of 75, saying they were not directed at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
What did Bhagwat say?
Speaking at an RSS centenary press conference in New Delhi on Thursday (August 28), Bhagwat explained that his remarks in Nagpur were only a reference to a witticism by senior Sangh leader Moropant Pingle. “At the Sangh function in Nagpur, I was quoting a witticism by Moropant ji about how when someone gives you a ceremonial shawl at 75, you should think of retirement,” Bhagwat said. “I never said I will or someone else should retire,” he added.
The Modi link
The clarification came after the event coordinator read out a question, noting that his earlier words were widely seen as a veiled reference to PM Modi. Modi, who turns 75 on 17 September this year, was once a full-time RSS worker before moving to the BJP. Bhagwat himself turns 75 a week before Modi. Despite the speculation, Bhagwat did not name the prime minister in his response. Instead, he said, “We (RSS workers) are ready to retire anytime in life and we are ready to work as long as Sangh wants us to work.”
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
‘Not about my retirement’
The RSS chief dismissed suggestions that his own retirement was being planned. “Anytime they can take this mantle and carry on,” he said, referring to at least 10 others he considered capable of leading the Sangh. “So, this is not for retirement of anybody or myself,” he added.
His earlier comments evoked reactions from Congress. Party leader Jairam Ramesh had quipped, “But the Prime Minister can also tell the Sarsanghchalak that – he too will turn 75 on 11 September 2025… One arrow, two targets!”
Bhagwat also fielded questions about the RSS’s influence on BJP leadership choices, especially with JP Nadda continuing as party chief on extension. “We do not decide that. If we were deciding, would it have taken so long?” he said. He added that while differences of opinion can exist, the RSS and the BJP “have the same objectives.”
