NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has clarified that he never said 75 should be considered the age of retirement, dismissing widespread speculation following his earlier remarks.
Speaking at the centenary celebrations of the RSS in New Delhi, Bhagwat said his words had been misinterpreted. “I never said I will retire, nor did I say someone else should retire at 75,” he explained. He recalled that his reference was based on a humorous anecdote by former RSS ideologue Moropant Pingle, who once joked that when someone is felicitated with a shawl at 75, it could be a hint to retire.
Bhagwat stressed that the RSS has no formal retirement rules or benefits. “I cannot say I have completed 75 years, so I want to enjoy retirement benefits. There are no benefits in the Sangh,” he said. According to him, a swayamsevak may step aside at any age—even at 35—if asked to do so, or continue serving for as long as the organization needs.
The clarification comes at a time when both Bhagwat and Prime Minister Narendra Modi approach their 75th birthdays in September. This had triggered political debate about whether Bhagwat’s earlier statement hinted at a “75-year retirement rule” for political or constitutional roles.
Rejecting such speculation, Bhagwat made it clear that the RSS does not impose such conditions and that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alone decides its leadership matters. “The so-called 75-year rule is not for constitutional roles. The Sangh has nothing to do with it,” he said, underlining the organizational autonomy of the RSS and the BJP.
By clarifying his remarks, the RSS chief has sought to put to rest any confusion around the idea of a fixed retirement age within the Sangh or its extended political ecosystem.
