How Fringe Elements are Defying Bhagwat and Modi’s Calls for Restraint
SINCE ITS FORMATION, the RSS has created numerous organizations rooted in its ideology of Hindutva or Hindu nationalism—a concept based on the Aryan race, Brahminical values, and the territorial expanse from the Sindhu river to the seas.
Narendra Modi
Over 100 such organizations have emerged, along with many others that, while not formally part of the Sangh Parivar, share its ideology. These include associations of sadhus and sants outside the VHP, cow vigilantes, and groups that incite violence under the guise of defending Hinduism. Today, many of these aggressive factions seem to be acting beyond the limits the RSS sets for its followers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi once stated that “murder in the name of the cow is unacceptable.” Yet, within hours, a Muslim man was lynched over the same issue.
This pattern continues. For instance, Modi recently highlighted the importance of love, harmony, and brotherhood—central teachings of Christ.
However, within days, vigilante groups, including Bajrang Dal, attacked individuals dressed as Santa Claus in Ahmedabad, disrupting their attempts to spread festive cheer. A viral video shows men dressed as Santa Claus being assaulted during the Kankaria Carnival in Ahmedabad. This appears to be the first year such acts of violence against Christmas traditions have occurred.
In recent years, incidents of carol singers being attacked have increased, and Christmas celebrations have been curtailed, even in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Bajrang Dal has gone so far as to warn Hindus against attending Christmas parties. Why has this new low in religious intolerance emerged during Christmas?
Jama Masjid In Sambhal
The anti-Muslim campaign has also taken a troubling turn, with claims that mosques must be excavated for evidence of temples beneath them, echoing the Babri Masjid dispute. In Kashi, for example, a fountain-like structure is being touted as a Shivling, reigniting demands for converting the mosque into a temple.
Also Read: Surveys of Mosques: Opening the Floodgates
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, likely alarmed by these escalating disputes, recently advised restraint:
“The Ram Temple was about faith, and Hindus wanted it built. But raising disputes about new sites out of hate is unacceptable. Some people think they can become leaders of Hindus by creating new controversies. How is this allowed?”
Yet, fringe elements within Hindutva politics have openly defied Bhagwat’s call for moderation. Despite the RSS’s reputation for strict discipline, organizations like Dharma Sansads and various Senas continue to proliferate, challenging its leadership. The RSS’s unofficial mouthpiece, Organizer, even defended the aggressive stance, arguing that “temple restorations are a quest for our identity” and a means of seeking “civilizational justice” (TOI, Dec 27, 2024).
Why is hate becoming so pervasive that it defies the boundaries set by RSS leaders? Is it because leaders like Modi benefit politically from such actions? If not, why do perpetrators of violence enjoy such impunity? From hate speech to law enforcement, and even parts of the judiciary, there appears to be a troubling leniency toward these elements.
Having escaped accountability for the Babri Masjid demolition and other crimes like lynching and “love jihad” violence, these groups now operate with confidence that they can evade the law. The judiciary’s failure to punish those responsible for the Babri demolition, coupled with rewards for some, only reinforces this impunity.
The phenomenon of Organiser opposing Bhagwat arouses curiosity. Is there a split within the RSS on this issue? Bhagwat is trying to promote peace and harmony, while the managers of Organiser feel that the path of hate and violence should be pursued to its fullest depth.
There is another aspect that needs to be understood. When such phenomena are unleashed for political gain, the leaders initially congratulate themselves on their success in the electoral arena. From top to bottom, diverse elements emerge, and as Mr. Bhagwat said, some of them aspire for higher political positions and influence. These are the ones continuing the political roots that were sown by their leaders.
One recalls that the previous top RSS leader, K. Sudarshan, who later became RSS Chief, was on stage when the Babri mosque was being demolished. This has been a classic case of a crime with no punishment.
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All those guilty of the dastardly crime of the Babri demolition were ultimately given a ‘not guilty’ verdict, and the judge who issued this, driven by communal politics, was rewarded with a plum job after his retirement.
Moahn Bhagwat
As they say, ‘as you sow, so you reap,’ the demolition of the Babri mosque as a whole tells us that it was not just the spreading of fake narratives about temple destructions and many myths against Muslims.
The result is evident: even the supreme authority of the RSS is not being listened to. The anti-Christian campaign is merely a continuation of the decades-old propaganda claiming that Christians are converting people through force, fraud, and allurement.
The likes of Bhagwat and Modi are witnessing firsthand that while the genie can be unleashed from the bottle, putting it back is a task that is close to impossible. 
Also Read: Keep the Communal Pot Boiling
Ram Puniyani
Author is a former professor of biomedical engineering and former senior medical officer affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
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