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Mohan Bhagwat is new RSS chief

NAGPUR — Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief K.S. Sudarshan Saturday stepped down on health grounds, handing over the mantle to Mohan Bhagwat, a veterinary doctor who detests party politics.

Expressing his inability to continue to shoulder the onerous responsibility that entailed hectic touring across India, Sudarshan, requested colleagues that he should be allowed to resign.

After Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who founded the RSS in 1925 at the age of 36, Bhagwat, 59, is the youngest RSS chief. All his immediate juniors, manning key positions in RSS, are much older to him.

Bhagwat has worked the last 30 years as a RSS “pracharak”, a term used for volunteers who work full time for the organisation and remain unmarried.

Born in Chandarpur near Nagpur in Maharashtra, Bhagwat was inducted into RSS by his father who joined it during the life time of Hedgewar.

Bhagwat has held various responsibilities including district prachark for Akola, provincial pracharak for Nagpur and zonal prachark for Bihar before being made joint secretary.

Within RSS circles, Bhagwat is known as a look alike of the first RSS chief.

“The new RSS chief is a straight forward person with a clear vision that the RSS should stay away from party politics. His focus would be to strengthen the organisational structure,” a senior RSS pracharak told.

Sudarshan is the third ‘Sarsanghchalak’ to demit the office on health grounds, the others being Balasaheb Deoras and Prof Rajendra Singh alias Rajju Bhaiyya.

An eloquent speaker known for his erudition, Sudarshan openly criticised then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and deputy prime minister L.K. Advani.  He also wished to alter the basic structure of the Indian constitution.

The retirement of 78 year old Sudershan and Bhagwat taking over the Sangh reins is expected to have a telling effect on the BJP also. While Sudershan was seen to be against BJP Prime Ministerial candidate LK Advani, Bhagwat is a supporter of Advani. In fact, Advani was an apprentice under Bhagwat’s father when he was a Pracharak in Gujarat after crossing over from Pakistan after parition.

- AGENCIES