Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has clarified that there is no age-related rule in the organisation that requires members or leaders to step aside after turning 75.
Speaking at a press conference marking 100 years of the RSS, Bhagwat said,
“In Sangh we are all volunteers. We do whatever work is assigned to us, regardless of our age. If I am 80 years old and Sangh asks me to run a shakha, I will have to do it. One cannot cite age to refuse work.”
The RSS chief strongly denied ever stating that he himself, or anyone else, should retire upon reaching a certain age.
“I never said I would retire or that someone else should retire,” Bhagwat clarified.
Earlier Statement on Age Limit
The clarification comes weeks after his remarks in July, during a book release event dedicated to late RSS ideologue Moropant Pingley in Nagpur. At that time, Bhagwat had referenced Pingley’s thoughts that once someone reaches 75 years of age, it is a sign to step aside and allow others to take responsibility.
Notably, both Mohan Bhagwat and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will turn 75 this September, making the clarification particularly significant in the political context.
