BJP autonomous, RSS plays no role in appointments: Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday reiterated the autonomy of the Bharatiya Janata Party and said the Sangh has no role in determining appointments such as that of the party president. He added that he had not suggested politicians and elected representatives retire at the age of 75.

- Smriti Kak Ramachandran

Both comments were made as responses to questions Bhagwat took on the final day of a three-day outreach session by the RSS in which he held forth on the organisation’s past, future, and its position on various current issues. His answers to separate questions, when seen together, also shed light on the relationship between the BJP, the dominant political force across India since 2014, and its ideological fount, the RSS.

Responding to a question about how India should respond to tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, Bhagwat reiterated the independence of the BJP led government and said, “We don't tell the government how to deal with Trump; they know what to do and we will support it. We need to learn to live and die for the nation, promote entrepreneurship to become a self-reliant and developed country.”