RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent remarks suggesting that leaders should step aside at the age of 75 has sparked a political controversy, with Congress and other Opposition leaders interpreting it as a veiled message to PM Narendra Modi, who turns 75 in September this year. It appears PM Modi’s 2014 decision to relegate veteran leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Jaswant Singh to the Margdarshak Mandal, citing a 75-year retirement rule has come back to haunt him. There has been a sense of indirect argument between the two tall leaders for some time now as Bhagwat spoke about the ‘arrogance of the rulers’ and suggested that true ‘sevak’ should serve the people without being arrogant. Constitutionally, there’s no age limit and no legal mandate compels a PM to retire at 75. Bhagwat’s message came across more as a philosophical nod to generational change, not direct instruction. Whether Modi chooses to step aside will depend entirely on political strategy, internal party dynamics, and whether he believes it's time for new leadership or to continue.
