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Opposition parties have been continuously raising the issue that PM Modi should also retire now and BJP should look for new leadership. For the last few months, there was a political uproar over a statement of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat. Read an exclusive analysis by veteran journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash.
Mohan Bhagwat statement ends speculation on PM Modi retirement
New Delhi: The latest statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has brought great relief to BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The speculations that were circulating in political corridors and media for the last several months have come to an end. These speculations were about the age of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prime Minister Modi will turn 75 next month on 17 September. There were speculations about this age limit for a long time whether Modi will also retire from active politics now. Actually, both Prime Minister Modi and Mohan Bhagwat were born in 1950. Bhagwat was born on 11 September and Modi was born on 17 September. In this sense, Mohan Bhagwat is six days older than PM Modi.
Senior journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash said in his show 'The MTA Speaks' Now the question arises whether the informal rule of 75 years of age in BJP and RSS will be applicable to Modi as well. The reason for these speculations is the decision taken in 2014 when BJP removed its four big leaders-LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Jaswant Singh and Shanta Kumar-from active politics and put them in the 'Margdarshak Mandal'. Then the message was sent that after completing the age of 75 years, the leaders will be removed from active politics. This is the reason that whenever this age limit comes closer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, political excitement increases.
Opposition parties have been continuously raising the issue that PM Modi should also retire now and BJP should look for new leadership. For the last few months, there was a political uproar over a statement of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat. Bhagwat said on one occasion that one should retire from active politics at the age of 75. As soon as this statement came, the opposition took it up and directly targeted Prime Minister Modi. Questions started being asked whether this hint of Bhagwat is towards Modi. Many political analysts had also started believing that a leadership change could be seen in the BJP in the coming days.
But now Mohan Bhagwat has clarified his statement and made the picture completely clear. A three-day special program was organized from 26 to 28 August to mark the completion of 100 years of the establishment of the Sangh in Delhi. Thousands of volunteers and thinkers gathered from all over the country on this occasion. On the last day of the program, Mohan Bhagwat expressed his opinion on many important issues from the stage. These included infiltration, population control, Islam, BJP-RSS relations and the concept of retirement. But what caught the most attention was his statement, in which he made it clear that he never said that a person should retire from politics after the age of 75.
Bhagwat said, "I said this while referring to Moropant ji's statement. I did not say that I will retire or someone else should retire. We are ready to retire at any time in life and as long as the Sangh wants, we will continue to work for the Sangh." This means that it is clear that the way the opposition or the media presented the meaning of his earlier statement was not correct.
This statement has proved to be a great relief for Prime Minister Modi. Because as soon as it came to light that the age limit of 75 years will no longer be applicable as a mandatory rule, BJP workers and supporters heaved a sigh of relief. This also reduced the sharpness of the attacks of the opposition which were constantly trying to influence the political atmosphere by making the issue of Modi's age.
Mohan Bhagwat also said something important about the relationship between BJP and RSS. He said that "We have had good coordination with every government. There is no quarrel anywhere. There may be differences of opinion between us but there is never any animosity. It is a completely wrong notion that the Sangh decides everything in the BJP government. The area of the government is different and the area of the Sangh is different. Advice can be given, but the decision is of the government only."
This statement of Bhagwat sent a clear message that the confusions created about the relationship between BJP and RSS are baseless. Often the opposition alleges that the decisions of the government are actually decided from Nagpur, but Bhagwat in a way rejected these allegations by saying that "we do not decide, we can only give advice".
Now the question arises that what will be the political impact of this statement of Bhagwat.
If we look at history, there has always been a debate in the BJP about the age limit. Even when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, there were discussions on the health and age of senior leaders. In 2014, when Modi came to power, he was the first Prime Minister to hold the post of Prime Minister.
Although he did indicate an age limit of 75 years to keep the party disciplined, it did not become part of any written rule or constitution. So when Advani and Joshi were sidelined, it was believed that a new generation was emerging in the BJP. Now that Modi himself is about to cross this age limit, the question naturally arose whether the rule would be different for him.
Bhagwat's statement made it clear that there is not just a different rule for Modi but no rule at all. It was only a political indication, not a binding provision. This is the reason why the discussion of Modi's succession in the BJP has been postponed for a few more years.
In his speech, Mohan Bhagwat also said that a person's ability to work and his willpower matter more than age. He said, "Sometimes even young people get tired and sometimes even old people keep working with the same energy. So it would be wrong to say that someone should retire only on the basis of age."
Seen from this perspective, this statement is also a message for Indian politics. Since independence, there have been many leaders in Indian politics who remained active in politics till the age of 80 and 90. Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister at the age of 81. Karunanidhi and M. Karunanidhi remained active in Tamil Nadu politics till the age of 90. Leaders like Sharad Pawar and Farooq Abdullah are still showing political activism even after crossing the age of 80. In such a situation, the question was also justified that why this limit should be applied only to Modi or BJP.
There is another aspect to this entire incident. BJP's politics is completely revolving around Modi. If suddenly the message went out that Modi can now retire, then confusion and instability could have spread in the party. The election target of 2029 could have been affected. India's stable leadership image could have been shaken at the international level as well. Therefore, this statement of Bhagwat can be considered not just a clarification but also a strategic intervention.
Overall, this statement of Mohan Bhagwat has brought political relief to BJP and Prime Minister Modi. Now it is clear that Modi will continue to lead the BJP for the next several years. The opposition's attacks will weaken, the morale of the workers will increase and the questions raised on the relationship between the Sangh and the BJP will come to an end. In politics, not age, but leadership ability and the trust of the public are the most important.
