RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat clarified that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh supports national policies, not political parties or individuals. Speaking at an event in Bengaluru marking the organisation’s centenary, he said the Sangh’s focus has always been on uniting society rather than engaging in divisive politics. Bhagwat explained that RSS members voted for the BJP because it supported the construction of the Ram Mandir, but if Congress had backed it, the Sangh’s volunteers would have supported that party instead. “We don’t have any special attachment to one party. No party belongs to us, and all parties are ours because they are Indian. We support rashtraneeti (national policy), not rajniti (politics),” he said.
When asked if Muslims are allowed in the RSS, Bhagwat dismissed the notion of religious exclusion, stating that anyone who comes to a shakha (RSS gathering) does so as a child of Bharat Mata. “No Brahmin, no Muslim, no Christian — we don’t label anyone. People from any community are welcome, provided they keep their religious separateness outside. At the shakha, we come together as sons of Bharat Mata,” he said. Bhagwat emphasised that Muslims and Christians do attend shakhas, but the organisation never counts or classifies them based on religion. His remarks came amid increasing criticism from Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, who recently suggested that the RSS should be banned.
Responding to the recurring question about why the RSS is not registered, Bhagwat explained that the organisation has existed since 1925 and was never required by law to register with the government. “Do you expect us to register under the British? Even after Independence, registration was not mandatory. The government recognised us as a ‘body of individuals’ and has banned us thrice — if we didn’t exist, who were they banning?” he remarked. He also addressed allegations that the RSS disrespects the national flag, asserting that the Sangh has always honoured the Tricolour. “We adopted the saffron flag in 1925, but the national flag came in 1933. Since then, we have always saluted and protected it,” he said, adding that the Sangh grows stronger whenever it faces opposition.
