Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, stated on Tuesday that forces from the West are attempting to destabilize India, although he maintained that a shift in government would not fundamentally alter the country's circumstances. According to Scroll, Bhagwat made these remarks during the organization's annual Dussehra event in Nagpur, describing the external influence as a storm that threatens values rooted in culture and human decency. He noted that even developed nations are currently affected by this perceived disruption.
The comments were delivered against the backdrop of widespread domestic protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Scroll reported that these demonstrations, which began in Delhi and other regions on October 2, are driven by concerns over the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. The trigger for this specific wave of unrest was an investigation published by The Indian Express on September 23, which revealed that two other Election Commissioners had formally objected to decisions made by the poll panel regarding the revision process. Since the exercise started in June 2025, questions have persisted about the pace of implementation and whether it might affect the voting rights of genuine electors.
Bhagwat contextualized India's current political climate by referencing recent unrest in other nations. He pointed to protests in France regarding education, demonstrations in Albania against corruption, and the political shifts in Bangladesh and Nepal. According to Scroll, the 2024 unrest in Bangladesh led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, while youth-led demonstrations in Nepal in September 2025 resulted in the fall of KP Sharma Oli's government. Bhagwat argued that a stronger India threatens the dominance of certain global powers, making it a target for efforts to weaken and divide the nation.
The RSS chief emphasized that while protests are inevitable in a democracy, they should aim for solutions rather than creating conflict or hatred within society. He urged political leaders and law enforcement to keep their actions within the bounds of the Constitution. He warned that when protests are driven by objectives other than public welfare, they can become political instruments that fuel hostility toward specific groups or ideologies. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is identified as the parent organization of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, linking its leadership's views directly to the current political establishment.