RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that despite the uniform and physical exercises, the Sangh is not a paramilitary organisation, and it would also be a huge mistake to try to understand it by looking at the BJP.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) works to unite society and imbue it with the necessary qualities and virtues to ensure that India does not fall into the clutches of a foreign power again, he said, addressing a gathering of prominent persons in Bhopal on Friday (January 2, 2026).
"We wear a uniform, take out marches and do stick exercise. (But) If someone thinks it is a paramilitary organisation, it will be a mistake," he said, adding that it was difficult to understand the Sangh, which was a unique organisation.
"If you want to understand the Sangh by looking at the BJP, it will be a huge mistake. The same (mistake) will happen if you try to understand it by looking at Vidya Bharti (an RSS-affiliated organisation)," Mr. Bhagwat said.
Notably, the RSS is widely considered the parent organisation of the Jana Sangh and its successor, the BJP.
