Overview

• The debate stems from Mohan Bhagwat’s June 11 anecdote in Nagpur quoting veteran leader Moropant Pingle’s view that receiving a shawl after 75 signals it’s time to step aside.
• BJP MP Nishikant Dubey dismissed suggestions that Modi should retire at 75, stating his leadership is crucial to achieving India’s development goals by 2047.
• Unnamed RSS insiders indicated that an informal 75-year retirement convention would likely be implemented only after the Sangh Parivar’s centenary celebrations on October 2, 2025.
• Senior party figures have clarified that Bhagwat’s remark was anecdotal and reaffirmed that neither the RSS nor the BJP enforces a formal age limit for its senior leaders.
• The public exchanges highlight mounting tensions within the Sangh Parivar over leadership succession and the balance between customary conventions and formal rules.