‘RSS is more flexible and accommodating than BJP’: Madhav Bhandari

In comparison, the RSS can be viewed as a non-government organisation that has taken up the daunting task of man-making and character building. While the RSS is nodal, there are several wings of the organisation which are championing social causes with a missionary zeal to reach the last man, irrespective of caste, community, or religion. They don’t have elections. They are not working for power or politics. But the larger cause is to unite Hindus, cutting across caste and community barriers. Though Sarsanghchalak is the unchallenged head of the organisation, they diligently follow the process where important decisions are taken collectively and by consensus.

Q. What is the equation between the RSS and the BJP? Has it changed from the 1980s to 2026?

Bhandari: They are altogether two different organisations doing their respective work. The RSS and the BJP have always shared cordial relations. The RSS doesn’t interfere with the functioning of the BJP. But we have people from the RSS coming to the BJP for a specific role. This has been a constant. In that sense, I don’t see any change.

Q. Over the years, both the RSS and the BJP have expanded. What are the challenges?

Bhandari: The fact that the RSS has completed a hundred years of journey despite ups and downs itself proves its growth and acceptance among people. After Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948, the RSS was banned by the Congress. It was a well-orchestrated design of the Congress to defame the organisation. Yet, it has not only survived but emerged stronger.

The BJP, which evolved from the erstwhile Jana Sangh, has also come a long way. From a party that was often dismissed or isolated, it has become the country’s largest political organisation, ruling the Centre and the majority of states across the country.

Madhav Bhandari (Photo Credit: Special Arrangement)

Both the RSS and the BJP have their own mechanism to deal with challenges and hurdles that come their way. I can confidently state that when it comes to adapting to challenges and changing times, the RSS is more flexible and accommodating. The transition is effortless. Rivals in the past had mischievously promoted the idea of the RSS being a communal, rigid, and orthodox organisation.

With the BJP gaining more acceptance, its expansion has been a natural process too. At the same time, it has not altered its core principle. While it has opened doors for outsiders, it ensures they accept the ideology. For example, after joining the BJP, if any individual has a problem saying ‘Jai Shree Ram’, it will not be acceptable.

Q. At a conclave, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat said ‘BJP’s acche din are because of the RSS and not vice-versa’.

Bhandari: Generally, we don’t comment on RSS Sarsanghchalak’s statements. But if you insist, I can only add, ‘This is a fact.’

Q. Between the RSS and the BJP, how have they changed with time?

Bhandari: Without compromising fundamentally on principles and ideology, the RSS has adjusted itself more quickly to changing times. For example, in the past, shakhas were held twice in a day. Taking into consideration the different segments’ lifestyles and working profiles, they have transitioned to holding online shakhas late at night.

As far as the BJP is concerned, it was among the first parties to make effective use of technology. In the past, to convene a public rally, we would plan 15 to 20 days in advance through a structured format. In 2014, when Narendra Modi’s rally was convened at Nanded, we effectively used WhatsApp to reach out to the maximum number of people. The entire planning was done in four days.

Q. Has the RSS been misunderstood?

Bhandari: Now, who has built this perception? Had the RSS been misunderstood, it would not have survived a hundred years and grown. Where are other organisations like the Hindu Mahasabha and the Communist Party of India that were founded around the same time as the RSS?