New DelhiJuly 11, 2025 12:42 IST
first published: July 11, 2025 12:42 IST
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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Union (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has suggested that leaders should retire at the age of 75. While this suggestion was made in terms of a small known story about former Sarkarawa Moropant Pingale, Bhagwat’s comment has given accuracy that he and Prime Minister Narendra Moda 75
Speaking on the release of the architect of The Hindu revival in Nagpur on Wednesday, the biography Pingale: The Lord recited a moment of a moment from an RSS meeting in Vrindavan, where Pingale became 75 years old.
“Activists from all over India were present. Just before the meeting ends, Shashadriji said,” Today, our Moropantji has completed 75 years. We are doing them with a shawl. ” The shawl was presented. Then he said, “When I die, people will first throw a stone to check if I am really dead.”
According to Bhagwat, Pingale then said: “You gave me a shawl at the age of 75, but I know what it means. When someone is failed at 75, it means: Now it’s your time, now step by one and let us work.” The RSS chief said: “Everything was out of honor for him. But he himself ensured that he was not associated with that honor.”
The BJP has previously used 75 years as an informal retirement benchmark, with senior leaders like LK Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi, after Modi came to power in 2014, went to a ‘Margassi Mandal’, informally because he crossed the thresets.
Political reactions came faster. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said in a statement, “The first Lord ji and now Modi ji … are close to 75. In RSS, 75 retirement age is. Then why not in politics? The country will benefit from such decisions.”
However, the BJP rejected such interpretations. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawanakul told reporters, “There is no rule in BJP about retirement in 75. Sanjay Raut is no one to decide how long the Prime Minister should serve – the people of the country will decide it.”
The sources of the RSS also fulfilled the importance of Bhagwat’s anecdote. Talking to The Indian Express, a senior worker said: “This is being explained more. Bhagwat ji was only telling a humorous story of how self-doors were GE, not laying a theory. There is no plan for the retirement of Sarsangchalak, nor should it be seen as any message.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has earlier made it clear that Modi will continue as Prime Minister even after 75, and that there is no such age within the working rules of the BJP.
However, opposition leaders have once accused the BJP of “double standards”, saying that if Advani and Joshi were “sidelined” after 75, then Modi would also be. In 2019, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of following “selective retirement” when senior leaders were denied tickets on age basis.
Narendra Modi (T) Nagpur (T) BJP (T) Retirement (T) Advani (T) Murali Manohar Joshi (T) Guardhak Mandal
