Prime Minister Narendra Modi made history on Sunday by becoming the first sitting PM to visit the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur. His visit, coinciding with RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar’s birth anniversary, was also a symbolic gesture amid reports of a renewed understanding between the BJP and its ideological parent. Modi was accompanied by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and the two were seen in discussion.
This visit, which also marked Gudi Padwa and RSS’s centenary year, holds political weight. Last year, murmurs of a strained BJP-RSS relationship surfaced, particularly after BJP president J.P. Nadda suggested the party had become self-reliant. However, Modi has since publicly acknowledged the RSS’s role in nation-building, and the organization actively supported BJP’s successful assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra.
Following his RSS visit, Modi paid respects at Deekshabhoomi, where Dr. B.R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism. He also inaugurated Madhav Netralaya, an RSS-backed eye hospital.
Political observers view Modi’s visit as a move towards reaffirming the BJP-RSS alliance. The RSS, historically skeptical of personality-driven politics, has now aligned more closely with the BJP’s strategy. With BJP’s national leadership transition underway and upcoming elections, the renewed synergy signals a consolidated approach to governance and ideological outreach.
