Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday, 20 October declared that attempts to 'dismantle' India would not succeed, and cautioned that a change in government alone would not resolve the nation's deep-rooted challenges. He was speaking at the RSS's annual Vijayadashami address in Nagpur, which this year doubled as the organisation's 101st foundation day.

Key Declarations at the Vijayadashami Address

Delivering his signature annual speech before the Dussehra gathering, Bhagwat squarely rejected the idea that electoral outcomes held the key to the country's transformation. 'They said that a regime change would change the situation, but it did not happen. It did not happen earlier, and it will not happen today either,' he said, in remarks widely read as a response to opposition-linked protest narratives.

Bhagwat also flagged what he described as a globally spreading ideological current hostile to established order. 'A storm has blown in from the West that opposes every form of order, propriety, auspiciousness, culture and human values, seeking to destroy, corrupt and ruin them. Even developed nations are affected by it,' he said, citing conditions in France, Albania, Bangladesh and Nepal as illustrations of this wider challenge.

On Protests, Democracy and Constitutional Limits

Acknowledging that public grievances were legitimate and protests an inherent part of democracy, Bhagwat nonetheless drew a sharp distinction between genuine dissent and politically instigated agitation. He warned that the latter could generate hatred, bitterness and social fractures.

'Whether it is protesting groups, authorities enforcing law and order, or political leaders, no actions should create conflict, hatred, bitterness or division within our united society. No matter how strong emotions run, our actions must stay within the boundaries of the Constitution, the law and civil decorum,' he said.

His remarks came amid active protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands directed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Days earlier, senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan had reportedly described the Delhi protests as having become 'really a fight for regime change.'

India as a Target, According to Bhagwat

Bhagwat alleged that certain external and internal forces were specifically targeting India because of its progress and the policy direction it had pursued over recent decades. 'India is their main target because India is progressing. These evil forces know that they cannot disrupt India the way it has moved ahead with decisive policies in the last few decades. They are trying to dismantle India and the Sangh,' he said.

He further alleged that some domestic actors, including political leaders, were lending support to such efforts — a charge that is likely to sharpen already polarised political discourse ahead of several state assembly cycles.

RSS at 101: Centenary Reflections and Future Direction

The address also served as a stocktaking moment for the RSS, with Bhagwat highlighting the organisation's activities during its centenary year. Founded in 1925, the RSS turned 100 last year and used the occasion to project continuity of purpose alongside a defence of India's cultural and institutional fabric.

How the political establishment and civil society respond to Bhagwat's framing of protests and 'dismantling' forces is likely to set the tone for the next phase of public debate around electoral roll reforms and democratic accountability.