New Delhi: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday clarified that he never said he would retire at 75, nor suggested that anyone else should.
His remarks came amid speculation that his recent comments on retirement were aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, like Bhagwat, turns 75 next month.
“We are ready to retire anytime in life and continue working as long as the Sangh wants us to,” Bhagwat said during the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the capital.
Explaining his earlier statement, Bhagwat said he was quoting the late RSS leader Moropant Pingle in Nagpur while appreciating his wit. Recalling the incident, he said, “When Pingle ji turned 75, he was felicitated with a shawl. He humorously remarked, ‘You may think you have honoured me, but I know this means I should sit quietly in a chair and watch.’”
Bhagwat stressed that his reference to 75 years was not directed at any leader. “This is not about anyone’s retirement, not even mine. I never said that I will retire or that someone else should,” he reiterated.
He added that in the Sangh, swayamsevaks must carry out the responsibilities assigned to them. “I am 80 years old. If the Sangh asks me to run a Shakha, I cannot say I have crossed 75 and want to enjoy retirement benefits—because there are no benefits in Sangh,” he said.
The RSS chief also noted that leadership in the organisation was not limited to one person. “Do you think I am the only one who can be Sarsanghchalak? There are at least ten people here who can take up this role anytime. But their contributions are too valuable to spare. I was the one who could be spared,” he remarked with a smile.
