Bhagwat’s 75‑Year Red Line: Opposition Targets Modi as Clock Ticks

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remark on stepping aside at the age of 75 has prompted opposition politicians to question its implications for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, like Bhagwat, turns 75 this September.

Speaking at a book release event dedicated to late RSS ideologue Moropant Pingle in Nagpur on Wednesday evening, Bhagwat said, “When you turn 75, it means you should stop now and make way for others.”

Bhagwat also recalled that Pingle’s nature was very humorous. “Moropant Pingle once said that if you are honoured with a shawl after turning 75, it means that you should stop now, you are old; step aside and let others come in,” Mohan Bhagwat recalled in his speech. He added that Moropant, despite his devotion to national service, believed in withdrawing gracefully once the age signalled it was time.

The remark, interpreted by many as a veiled message to PM Modi, has stirred a political debate. The Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut was quick to respond, stating, “PM Modi forced leaders like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Jaswant Singh to retire after they turned 75. Let’s see if he applies the same rule to himself now.”

“Preaching without practice is always dangerous. It is unprincipled that the Margdarshak Mandal was given compulsory retirement applying the 75 years age limit but indications are clear that current dispensation will be exempted from this rule,” Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said.

Raut had earlier claimed that Modi’s March visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur this year—his first in over a decade—was to discuss his potential retirement. The BJP denied this at the time, stating that the visit was a routine one and not linked to any such announcement.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had previously clarified in May 2023 that there is no retirement clause in the BJP’s constitution. “Modi ji will continue to lead till 2029. There’s no truth in retirement rumours. The INDIA bloc won’t win the upcoming elections with lies,” he said.

Interestingly, on the same day as Bhagwat’s remarks, Amit Shah—among India’s most active politicians—spoke at another event about his own post-retirement aspirations. “I would like to dedicate my time to the Vedas, Upanishads and organic farming,” he said, though he did not specify when he intends to retire. Shah turned 60 in April.

The timing of Bhagwat’s statement has drawn attention because both he and Prime Minister Modi were born in September 1950—Bhagwat on the 11th and Modi six days later, on the 17th.

Veteran economist and former Nagpur University professor Dr Shrinivas Khandewale said the statement is significant. “There is no age bar for an RSS chief unless he steps down voluntarily. But in Modi’s case, the retirement norm was set by the BJP itself.”

But RSS watcher and former swayamsevak Dilip Deodhar dismissed the possibility of either leader stepping down. “This debate will fade. Bhagwat had clarified five years ago that Modi would be an exception to the 75-year norm,” he said, citing a meeting where Bhagwat told some columnists, “An exception proves the rule.”

However, Deodhar argued that Bhagwat’s statement should also be seen as an attempt by the RSS to further tighten its hold over the BJP.

A senior RSS swayamsevak, speaking on condition of anonymity, echoed Deodhar’s sentiment on Bhagwat not stepping down. “There’s a tradition in the Sangh. No sarsanghchalak has stepped down unless physically unfit. Balasaheb Deoras, Rajju Bhaiyya and K S Sudarshan, all relinquished the post only due to serious health concerns. Both Rajju Bhaiyya and Sudarshan announced their retirements because of their frail health when they were 78 years old while the third sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras remained chief of the RSS until 1994 till the age of 79, when he formally stepped down due to deteriorating health and made Rajju Bhaiyya his successor. Here, both Bhagwat and Modi are physically fit and continue to serve effectively.”

One BJP leader, on condition of anonymity, said that this comment may be an indicator of the power struggle between the RSS and the BJP since the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It indicated that the BJP and RSS were still trying to establish their own dominance, and one aspect where that was a major factor was in the decision about who will be the new BJP president, this person said.

Whether Bhagwat’s remark signals a shift in the Sangh’s internal thinking or is simply a tribute to Moropant Pingle’s legacy remains to be seen — but it has certainly sparked a fresh round of political speculation as both Bhagwat and Modi approach a milestone in a couple of months.