The programme was attended by over 900 invited guests, including MLAs, industrialists, bureaucrats and film personalities.
Mumbai: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the post of Sarsanghchalak is open to persons from all castes, including Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, provided they are the most suitable candidates, asserting that caste is neither a qualification nor a disqualification for the position.
Addressing an RSS centenary event at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai, Bhagwat said the only requirement for the post is that the person must be a Hindu. “Being a Brahmin is neither a qualification nor is belonging to SC or ST a disqualification,” he said.
Speaking on the second day of the lecture series titled ‘100 Years of the Sangh’s Journey: New Horizons’, organised as part of the RSS centenary celebrations, Bhagwat said that in the organisation’s early years, a larger number of Brahmins were associated with the Sangh, but stressed that it has always worked for people across castes. He said that in future, even workers from SC or ST communities could rise to the top post.
The programme was attended by over 900 invited guests, including MLAs, industrialists, bureaucrats and film personalities.
On reservations, Bhagwat reiterated the RSS position that constitutionally mandated quotas should continue until communities that have suffered generations of injustice achieve comprehensive upliftment and a sense of security.
Referring to his continuation as RSS chief after turning 75, Bhagwat said he had expressed his willingness to step down but was asked to continue. “It is not in my hands to decide whether I retire or continue. When the Sangh asks me to step down as Sarsanghchalak, I will do so, but I will not retire from work,” he said.
On the organisation’s finances, he said the RSS largely functions with the support of volunteers, adding that workers often stay at volunteers’ homes while travelling and depend on their hospitality.
Bhagwat also said conferring the Bharat Ratna on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar would enhance the dignity of the honour. He commented on alleged atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh, urging the Hindu community there to unite, and expressed confidence that unity would help curb attacks.
Calling for efforts towards the realisation of Akhand Bharat by 2047, Bhagwat said attempts to weaken or divide the nation would ultimately fail.
