Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is set to arrive in Kolkata on Thursday and he is expected to stay in West Bengal for the next 10 days. This is the longest visit by any RSS head to the state, giving birth to speculations about its political significance. However, Sangh insiders emphasise that this is a routine visit, scheduled a year in advance.
Jishnu Basu, the general secretary of RSS Bengal, informed that Bhagwat's stay has been extended as he will be visiting two organisational regions of the Sangh. “The sarsangchalak will be staying in both the regions for four days. Also, there is a meeting of Akhil Bharatiya Toli Baithak on February 11 and 12,” he told THE WEEK.
The Akhil Bharatiya Toli Baithak meeting will be attended by Dattatreya Hosabale, the general secretary of RSS, and six joint secretaries as well, informed Basu.
From February 7 to 10, Bhagwat will be at Keshav Bhawan, the RSS headquarters in Kolkata, where he will meet Sangh workers and senior members of South Bengal.
On February 13, he will travel to Bardhaman to meet with central Bengal Sangh members. The RSS chief will address a public rally on February 16 at the SAI complex in Purba Bardhaman district’s Talit.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Basu highlighted that Bhagwat’s visit is intended to strengthen the spirit of nationalism, raise awareness about social responsibility, and foster a sense of unity within society.
The Sangh chief’s longest visit to West Bengal, coming ahead of next year’s assembly elections, has fuelled widespread speculations about its political implications. It is anticipated that Bhagwat could pave the way for the RSS, and the BJP, to strategise and strengthen their position in the state before the 2026 polls.
But Sunil Ambekar, the Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh of RSS, played down the speculations. He told THE WEEK, “RSS doesn’t work or think like that. This is a routine organisational visit which was planned a year in advance.”
