For the third time, Narendra Modi is now India’s prime minister. With a resounding majority, the BJP-led NDA formed the federal government. However, the BJP-NDA lost a large number of seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, failing to secure a majority of 272. Conversely, the Congress party has grown its number of members from 52 to 99, despite not being able to secure three-digit seats on its own.
The opposition’s I.N.D.I. coalition won 233 seats, shocking all exit poll forecasters. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat offered advice for the opposition and the incoming administration in his first statement following the election results. In addition to calling the 2024 election campaign “devoid of standards,” he spoke about a variety of topics, including Manipur and what constitutes a “true Sevak.”
“After the Lok Sabha elections, the external environment has changed, and the new government has begun to take shape. The Sangh is unconcerned about the reason it occurred. At the Karyakarta Vikas Varg programme in Nagpur on June 10, Bhagwat stated, “The Sangh works for refining public opinion in every election, did it this time also, but does not get entangled in the analysis of the outcome.”
Mohan Bhagwat highlights the significance of fostering agreement.
Bhagwat highlighted the need for reaching a consensus while speaking to an assembly of RSS leaders and workers in Nagpur on the day the new BJP-led coalition called its first Cabinet meeting. “Building consensus is the process of elections.” Every subject has two sides, and Parliament has two sides so that all sides of each question can be considered. To make the best choice, the opposition party should address the other dimension if one side is handled by one party, according to Bhagwat.
The head of RSS outlines the characteristics of a “true sevak.”
The RSS chief used a Doha written by poet Kabir when discussing what constitutes a true “sevak,” saying, “Nirbandha Bandha Rahe, Bandha nirbandha hoye..Karm kare karta nahi..das kahaye soye..A genuine sevak conducts themselves with grace at work. The polite person goes about his business, but he doesn’t get involved. I’m not surprised that I did this. A person only qualifies as a sevak in this way.
Bhagwat emphasised the importance of maintaining “maryada” [decorum], stating that elections are a democratic process in which rivals try their hardest to stay ahead of one another. Nevertheless, decorum should be upheld even in this scenario. He asserted that elections had to be viewed as a contest rather than a conflict.
Regarding the opposition, Bhagwat declared, “I refer to it as Pratipaksh, not Virodhi Paksh.” There is no opponent in the opposition. It is exposing one aspect of the problems, and that needs careful consideration. If we recognise that this is the way we have to conduct ourselves, then we have to be aware of the civility that goes into running for office. That manner wasn’t upheld during the elections.
The RSS chairman went on to say that while there would never be complete agreement on ideas and viewpoints, political leaders from all parties should work together to create consensus. The Rigveda rishis recognised the limitations of human understanding and that total consensus is unachievable. But Sah-Chitta is achieved when society chooses to act by consensus, he stated.
“To ensure that all viewpoints are heard, our parliament has two sides. There are two sides to every coin. The opposing side must present its viewpoint if one side presents an idea. Bhagwat continued, “We must set aside the hyperbolic rhetoric of the elections and focus on the future.
Mohan Bhagwat is critical of the divisive nature of political parties’ election campaigns.
It is alarming how events have transpired, with both sides waging below-the-belt attacks, denying the polarising effects of campaign tactics, and widening societal and psychological divides. The disregard with which the actions being taken were causing social divisions…This was a needless entanglement for RSS. Using technology, complete lies were disseminated. Is knowledge based on technology?”We need to put the country’s challenge ahead of the election excitement,” the head of the RSS stated.
It is important to note that different political parties have abused artificial intelligence to promote false narratives. To disseminate hostile propaganda and fake news, deep-fake videos were produced. Congressmen also shared a fake video of Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah on social media. Several members of the Congress social media team were taken into custody for producing and disseminating the fraudulent film, and Delhi Police filed a case about it. The social media accounts of the Telangana Congress circulated the deepfake video that purportedly showed Union Home Minister Amit Shah declaring that reservations for SC-ST and OBCs would be terminated.
“Manipur is burning”: The head of the RSS expresses worry about the heated situation in Manipur.
Even though there has been peace in the state for the past ten years, Mohan Bhagwat said that the state has long been yearning for peace in reaction to the ethnic conflict in Manipur.
There is societal discord everywhere. This is not ideal. Manipur had been hoping for peace for a year. For the previous ten years, everything was calm. The old-gun culture seems to have vanished. However, Manipur’s gun culture, which emerged or took shape overnight, is still raging. Who is going to give it any thought? It is our responsibility to address it first,” he remarked.
While praising the Modi administration for its efforts over the past 10 years, Mohan Bhagwat notes that the NDA is not without difficulties.
The head of the RSS commended the Modi administration for guiding the nation towards progress and development, particularly in the areas of economic expansion and defence, among other things. “The National Democratic Alliance [NDA], the same government, has taken back control. Over the previous ten years, many good things have happened. Over the past ten years, we have advanced in several areas, including the economy, defence strategy, sports, culture, and technology. This does not, however, mean that we are without difficulties going forward, Bhagwat added.
The anti-Modi ecosystem is using Mohan Bhagwat’s statement to disparage PM Modi and the BJP.
The opposition and its “ecosystem” now have more fodder to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi because of the remarks made by the RSS chief over the Manipur issue. Rajya Sabha MP and former Congress leader Kapil Sibal stated on June 11 that if PM Modi is not inclined to follow the opposition’s advice, he needs to at least pay attention to the chief of the RSS. He went on to say that the BJP fostered a division between supporters and detractors throughout the election campaign.
“Bhagwat ji has now expressed his concern for Manipur, which we also voiced. You listen to him instead of us because you’re not used to hearing from us. You are not wired to listen to us. Priority should be given to Manipur. I had requested that CM N Biren Singh be removed, but you were unable to do so with the former head of the wrestling body. How will you handle the CM, Sibal questioned.
“We are creating a ‘we versus them’ mentality,’ as I have been stating for months with statements. We must move the nation ahead. I agree with what Mohan Bhagwat said. Sibal continued.
Journalist Tavleen Singh, meanwhile, asserted that the chairman of the RSS examined the reasons for the BJP’s inability to secure a complete majority in his address. She implied that Bhagwat had cautioned the BJP against becoming conceited and regarding the opposition as adversaries.
The head of the RSS has expertly explained why Modi was unable to secure a complete majority for the BJP. He has issued warnings against treating opponents like enemies and elections like war. Excellent statement, Mohan Bhagwat, Singh wrote.
A few other anti-Modi groups portrayed Bhagwat’s speech as criticism, advice, and a “strong” message for the BJP and Narendra Modi.
BJP’s ideology is rooted in RSS, regardless of what politicians say
The opposition, its media allies, and the larger ecosystem are using Mohan Bhagwat’s speech to inflame tensions between the BJP and RSS and to spread a false impression that the RSS is unhappy with the BJP leadership, particularly PM Modi. Nonetheless, the BJP must examine closely what went wrong in the general elections. The chief of the RSS spoke about the haughtiness of politicians in these elections, but he did not mention any political figure from the BJP-NDA or the I.N.D.I. bloc. Nevertheless, political figures, particularly BJP members, can get a lot of insight from the RSS chief’s remarks.
The BJP candidates who showed arrogance, failed to make an effort to connect with the people in their constituency, and relied solely on PM Modi’s charisma should stop taking the voters for granted. Rather than being indolent and complacent, they should become approachable and work for their constituents. This is in line with Bhagwat’s remarks that a true “sevak” is free from arrogance and upholds the “Maryada.”
It is important to keep in mind BJP President JP Nadda’s remarks from last month that the party is now powerful enough to run elections without the help of the RSS. We would have required the RSS at first, as we were smaller and less capable. We are capable and we have grown today. According to Nadda, the RSS is the “ideological front,” while the BJP “runs itself.” The BJP lost a lot of seats, even if it is true that it won more seats on its own than the whole opposition combination could have. For the BJP, which fought the election with the goal of “Abki baar 400 paar,” this was shocking and embarrassing.
The chief of the RSS emphasised that the Modi government, in its third term, ought to address the Manipur issue more skillfully and bring peace back to the state. Furthermore, the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party should desist from using divisive and damaging remarks, particularly while discussing the constitution and reservations. It was evident how the opposition incited concern about the BJP’s end reservations by exploiting remarks made by BJP members Anant Hegde and Lallu Singh over “changing” the constitution.
It’s important to note that a large number of RSS members who had previously taken part in grassroots awareness efforts and had gone so far as to actively push people to cast ballots stayed silent this time. Additionally, some high-party leaders were allegedly neglecting RSS cadres. The BJP is built on the RSS, and although they have different political and ideological functions, the two are closely related. The Sangh should not desert the BJP, especially during elections, and the upper command of the BJP should refrain from disregarding the RSS.
