Bhagwat on protests, unity and external threats
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Tuesday that protests alone rarely resolve problems and warned that external forces seeking to destabilise the country could exploit local issues. Delivering his Vijayadashami speech in Nagpur, he said changing a political regime would not by itself alter conditions on the ground and urged that the purpose of protest should be to find a solution.
Bhagwat referred to recent disturbances abroad as examples of what he described as a wider effort to undermine existing systems and social norms. He cited unrest in France and episodes in Bangladesh and Nepal while suggesting that some such events appeared to be "carefully orchestrated by some forces".
"Look at what is happening in France, what has happened in Bangladesh and what happened in Nepal. There is talk that these are carefully orchestrated by some forces," he said, according to reporting of the speech.
He said that those conducting what he termed "regime change operations" had India as their "ultimate target" and warned that social issues could be used to create feelings of injustice and victimhood, isolate communities and erode trust in institutions.
Emphasis on purpose and conduct of protest
While acknowledging that protests are an intrinsic feature of democracy, Bhagwat underlined that their objective should be the resolution of problems. He said the government, administrators and political leaders must ensure that actions around protests do not foster discord, hostility, bitterness or division in society.
- Protests are a democratic inevitability, Bhagwat said, but must aim for solutions.
- He cautioned against allowing social issues to be used to create divisions and undermine institutions.
- Bhagwat proposed the government examine whether India could follow some Western countries in restricting information, the report added.
The RSS chief asserted that forces working against the nation use social grievances to manufacture a sense of injustice, isolate groups and provoke conflict to create disorder and anarchy. He called for the country to remain united irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
Context and potential implications
Bhagwat’s remarks come in the wake of student-led protests earlier this year over the removal of an education minister, a development he acknowledged when he said that demonstrations in India are bound to take place. He noted, however, that simply changing a political regime does not automatically resolve the underlying problems that trigger public mobilisation.
The reference to disturbances abroad—described by him as a "storm" that seeks to destroy forms of civility and cultural values—frames his argument in both domestic and international terms. By linking unrest in other countries to a possible strategy against India, Bhagwat signalled concern about the external dimension of contemporary protest movements.
| Country | Context cited |
|---|---|
| France | Demonstrations and riots referred to as part of a destabilising "storm" |
| Bangladesh | Mentioned as an example of unrest that some allege was orchestrated |
| Nepal | Also cited among countries where events were portrayed as externally driven |
Bhagwat also suggested the government could examine the possibility of restricting information in ways followed by some Western countries, a point the report noted without further detail. The proposal may touch on sensitive debates about free expression, media regulation and national security.
The RSS leader’s call for unity "irrespective of caste, creed and religion" echoes long-standing organisational emphasis on social cohesion. His remarks are likely to be noted by political parties, civil society and the administration given the group’s influential position in public life.
Reporting of the Vijayadashami address indicated Bhagwat had earlier acknowledged student concerns about the removal of the then education minister, yet maintained that protests should be channelled towards problem-solving rather than fomenting division.
The speech outlines an outlook that ties domestic protest management to broader questions of national stability and external threat perception; how the government responds to proposals such as information restrictions and whether opposition groups or civil society accept the framing of foreign involvement will determine the political traction of Bhagwat’s warnings.
