Misconceptions about RSS owing to misleading campaigns: Mohan Bhagwat

Kolkata: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said there are some misconceptions about the organisation among a section of people, owing to "misleading campaigns".

Speaking at a programme at the Science City auditorium to mark the centenary celebrations of the RSS, Bhagwat said the Sangh has no enemy, but there were some "whose shops of narrow interest will shut down if the organisation grows".

He said people were free to form opinions about the RSS, but those views should be based on facts and not on "narratives and secondary source information".

"In order to bring the reality in front of people, lectures and interaction sessions have been organised in four cities of the country," Bhagwat said.

Maintaining that the RSS does not have any political agenda, he said the Sangh works for the betterment and protection of the Hindu society.

Bhagwat said India would again become a ‘Vishwaguru’ and that "it is the duty of the Sangh to prepare society for the purpose".

The RSS has been holding such sessions as part of the centenary celebrations in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

"The strength of Hindus is awakening and will certainly happen," he said.

Asserting that Bharat's rise is a certainty, Bhagwat said the rise of Hinduism is also imminent and as such the bad people are worried about it.

"That is why propaganda against India and organisations like the Sangh is happening with more tempo," the RSS chief said.

He said the RSS will discuss ways to bring to the people the truth so that they are not swayed by such propaganda.

"If everything remains fine in our neighbouring countries, which were part of Bharat earlier, our position will also be fine," he added.

"The government will decide its policies on such matters, but at the society-to-society level, wishing well for each other is something we would like to discuss," he said.

Neighbouring Bangladesh has been going through turmoil since protests against the Hasina government broke out in mid-2024 with reports of atrocities on minority Hindus there.

The death of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi triggered attacks and vandalism across Bangladesh, including stone-hurling at the Assistant Indian High Commissioner's residence in Chattogram on Thursday.

The RSS chief also said one should not buy things which can be made at home and that only those objects should be bought which can increase the income of locals.

"One should not buy anything from a foreign country which can be made at home," he said, advocating Swadeshi for the interest of the nation.

The RSS leader said one should use mother tongue instead of a foreign language.

"When you are Bengali-speaking people, write 'Swagatam' instead of 'Welcome' at the entrance of your residence," he said.

He also encouraged people to travel within the country and explore its cultural and historical sites.

"There are so many places across Bharat which are worthy to be visited," he said, adding, "whether one sees other parts of the world or not, one should see his own country."

The RSS chief said one should read the basic tenets of the Constitution, including the Preamble and the fundamental duties of citizens.