Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Thursday that he never asked anybody to retire at 75.
Bhagwat, who will turn 75 six days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, told reporters , “I never said I will retire or that someone else should retire when they turn 75…”
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There was speculation that Modi will ‘call it a day’ after his 75th birthday in September.
In other words, he will step aside in accordance with an unspoken ‘rule’ within the BJP and its ideological mentor, RSS.
But that has been refuted by Bhagwat.
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“We will do what the Sangh tells us,” he said, ahead of RSS’ 100th anniversary.
The BJP has been reiterating that there was no rule which entailed that Modi should resign after turning 75.
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BJP has repeatedly maintained that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was given the responsibility to counter speculations that the Prime Minister would retire from politics post-September 17, his birthday, reports NDTV.
The Opposition has been going hammer and tongs when Bhagwat was quoted saying that politicians should retire after turning 75.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal has been steadfast in his prediction that Modi would hang up his boots after turning 75.
But with Bhagwat’s Thursday ‘renege’ on his earlier statement, it seems Modi is set for a longer run than speculated.
Bhagwat also added that he never espoused he cause of a Hindu Rashtra.
“I never talk about ‘Hindu Rashtra’… We can be Muslims or Christians but all are Indians,” he said.