Overview

• Responding to succession chatter, Mohan Bhagwat said he never advocated retirement at 75, framing his earlier remarks as a misread anecdote about Moropant Pingle.
• Stressing organisational boundaries, he said the RSS does not decide BJP appointments and noted the party is free to choose its president on its own timeline.
• On relations with the ruling party, he said there is no quarrel with the BJP, acknowledging differences of opinion but emphasising trust and leaders’ operational independence.
• He called for families to have three children, citing India’s 2.1 fertility target and warning about demographic shifts linked to religious conversion and illegal immigration.
• He urged that jobs not be given to illegal immigrants and reiterated support for constitutionally mandated reservations, alongside appeals for unity across faiths and respect for Indian languages.