RSS Supports Policies, Not Parties or Individuals: Mohan Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday clarified that the organisation supports policies and national causes, not any individual or political party. He said that RSS workers would have supported even the Congress Party if it had backed the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

“We do not support any political party. We do not participate in election politics. Sangh works to unite society, and politics is divisive. We support policies. For example, we wanted Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, so our swayamsevaks supported its construction. If Congress had supported it, they would have voted for that party,” Bhagwat said at an event in Bengaluru marking the centenary of the RSS.

He emphasised that the Sangh’s loyalty lies with rashtraneeti (national policy), not rajniti (politics).

“There is no Sangh party; no party is ours. All parties are ours because they are Bharatiya parties. We support those who take the country in the direction we believe is right,” he said.

On Inclusivity and Membership

Responding to a question on whether Muslims can join the RSS, Bhagwat explained that the organisation does not discriminate by religion or caste.

“No Brahmin, Muslim, or Christian is specially ‘allowed’. When you come to a shakha, you come as a son of Bharat Mata. Muslims and Christians do attend shakhas, but we don’t count them or ask who they are,” he said.

On RSS Registration and Legal Status

Bhagwat also addressed questions about why the RSS is not a registered organisation, a criticism often raised by Congress leaders.

“Sangh started in 1925 — do you expect us to register with the British government? After Independence, registration is not compulsory. We are recognised as a ‘body of individuals’. We were banned thrice; if we didn’t exist, who did they ban? Each time, courts dismissed the ban,” he said.
He added that RSS gains strength whenever it faces opposition.

On the National Flag

When asked about the RSS’s relationship with the Tricolour, Bhagwat dismissed claims that the organisation does not accept the national flag.

“The Sangh adopted the saffron flag in 1925, while the national flag came in 1933. The flag committee had first recommended a saffron flag, but Gandhiji suggested three colours. Since then, Sangh has always respected and protected the Tricolour. There is no conflict between Bhagwa and the Tricolour,” he said.

Political Context

Bhagwat’s remarks come amid renewed criticism from Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who recently said the RSS should be banned. His son, Priyank Kharge, and other Congress leaders in Karnataka have also criticised the organisation in recent weeks.