Viewing RSS Through BJP Lens a “Huge Mistake,” Says Mohan Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday asserted that the organisation has no political agenda and cautioned against viewing it through the prism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), calling such an approach a “huge mistake”.

Addressing the ‘RSS 100 Vyakhyan Mala’ programme in Kolkata as part of the Sangh’s centenary celebrations, Bhagwat said the RSS should not be understood through the narrow or comparative frameworks.

“If you want to understand the Sangh, making comparisons will lead to misunderstandings. If you consider the Sangh to be just another service organisation, you will also be mistaken,” he said.

He specifically warned against conflating the RSS with the BJP. “Many people have a tendency to understand the Sangh through the lens of the BJP, which is a huge mistake,” Bhagwat said, adding that while many BJP leaders may have roots in the RSS, the two are distinct organisations with different roles.

Speaking later at another event at the Science City auditorium in Kolkata, Bhagwat reiterated that the RSS does not pursue politics and has no enemies. He said the organisation works solely for the betterment, protection and unity of Hindu society.

“The Sangh is often misinterpreted. Many people know its name but do not understand its work. The RSS does not operate with animosity or a mindset of conflict,” he said.

Bhagwat emphasised that the core objective of the RSS is the creation of “sajjan” — morally upright and virtuous individuals — who are guided by service, values and national pride, and who contribute to the country’s development.

He said the growth of the organisation may affect the interests of some, leading to opposition, but the Sangh itself does not regard anyone as an enemy.

Rejecting allegations that the RSS is anti-Muslim, Bhagwat said such perceptions are based on narratives rather than facts.

He maintained that the Sangh’s work is transparent and open for anyone to observe. “People who have come and seen our functioning have concluded that we are staunch nationalists who work for the protection of Hindus but are not anti-Muslim,” he said, urging critics to visit and understand the organisation firsthand.

The RSS chief also said that India would once again become a ‘Vishwaguru’, or global teacher, and that it was the duty of the Sangh to prepare society for that role.

He called for greater unity within the Hindu community and a return to forgotten cultural and social roots.

Referring to Bengal’s legacy, Bhagwat invoked figures such as Swami Vivekananda, Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

He particularly praised Raja Ram Mohan Roy for his role in social reform, saying the RSS seeks to carry forward that legacy of societal transformation.

Bhagwat said lecture and interaction sessions were being organised in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru to place the reality of the RSS before the public as part of its centenary celebrations, and urged people to form opinions based on facts rather than secondary sources.