RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s clarification on retirement has set off a fresh political debate, with Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav accusing him of “changing rules when his own turn came.”
File Photo: UNI
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s clarification on retirement has set off a fresh political debate, with Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav accusing him of “changing rules when his own turn came.”
On Friday, Yadav took to X and wrote: “Those who said ‘neither will I retire, nor let others retire’ changed the rules when their own turn came. This double standard is not good. People who go back on their word lose trust—not just of others, but even of their own. And those who lose trust, lose power.”
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The row began at Vigyan Bhavan on Thursday during the concluding day of the “100 Years of RSS: New Horizons” event, where Bhagwat told the media that he had never spoken about retiring at the age of 75—“neither for myself, nor for anyone else.”
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The remark carries weight as Bhagwat turns 75 on September 11, and the age-bar speculation had also been linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political future. Observers believe Bhagwat’s clarification effectively keeps the 2029 road open for Modi.
Back in Nagpur on July 11, 2025, however, Bhagwat had remarked: “When you turn 75 and someone drapes a shawl on your shoulders, you should retire.” That statement is now being contrasted with his latest denial, giving the Opposition fresh ammunition.
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