Mohan Bhagwat Says Attempts to ‘Dismantle’ India Will Fail, Regime Change Won’t Solve Problems

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday asserted that attempts to “dismantle” India would not succeed, while arguing that changing the government alone would not resolve the country’s problems.

Addressing the RSS’s annual Vijayadashami gathering in Nagpur, Bhagwat said the expectation that a change in regime would transform the situation had proved misplaced in the past and would not deliver the desired outcome now either.

“They said that a regime change would change the situation, but it did not happen. It did not happen earlier, and it will not happen today either,” he said.

The address coincided with the RSS’s 101st foundation day and focused on the organisation’s activities during its centenary year, along with challenges confronting the country.

Bhagwat said India faced challenges from forces he accused of opposing established institutions, cultural values and social order. Citing developments in France, Albania, Bangladesh and Nepal, he described these as part of a wider challenge affecting societies across the world.

He alleged that India was being targeted because of its progress and the policies pursued over recent decades. According to him, forces seeking to disrupt the country were also attempting to weaken the RSS, with some people, including political leaders, allegedly supporting these efforts.

Emphasising the need to preserve social harmony, Bhagwat said protests, law enforcement measures and political activity should not fuel hatred, bitterness or divisions. He stressed that even strong public emotions must be expressed within the boundaries of the Constitution, the law and civil decorum.

Acknowledging that public grievances could lead to demonstrations, the RSS chief said protests were part of democracy but should aim to resolve problems rather than aggravate tensions. He warned that politically motivated agitation could encourage disorder and disrupt public life.

His remarks came amid protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. They also followed senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan’s description of the Delhi protests as “really a fight for regime change”.