Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Credit: PTI Photo
Lucknow: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat exhorted the Sangh workers to reach every village in the country by 2025, its centenary year, and connect to every section of the society and organise its 'shakha' (training program) there.
Bhagwat, who was on a visit to Gorakhpur, the home town of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing the 'swayamsevaks' at a function in Maniram in the district, also asked the workers to be 'humble' while reaching out to the people. More than 250 swayamsevaks from several nearby districts were attending the training camp.
The RSS chief, according to the sources, may also meet Adityanath during his stay in Gorakhpur. Adityanath, who was in Varanasi to oversee preparations for the proposed visit of prime minister Narendra Modi on June 18, was likely to reach Gorakhpur late in the evening on Friday.
''We will be entering our centenary in 2025....we have to do something big by then...it is the responsibility of the swayamsevaks to expand the Sangh on a large scale,'' Bhagwat said.
He also said that the swayamsevaks should work toward creating a 'positive image' of the Sangh among the people. ''RSS has always helped the people in times of need but some people try to paint the Sangh in a negative image,'' he added.
Bhagwat's remarks came days after he reportedly said that a true 'sevak' (servant) was not 'arrogant' and served the people with dignity. The remarks were perceived to be aimed at the BJP.
Sources in the BJP said that the dismal performance of BJP in UP could come during discussions between Bhagwat and Adityanath. BJP, which had won 62 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, could win only 32 seats this time. Sources also said that the RSS was not happy with the selection of candidates in the state and had advised the saffron party to change many of the nominees.
Sources also said that at many places the RSS workers did not actively take part in the campaigning and mobilising the BJP supporters to come out and exercise their franchise which might have resulted in low voting at several places.
Senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar also said that those who had become arrogant were stopped at 241 by Lord Rama and also those who were 'anti-Ram' could get only 234.