Mohan Bhagwat warns of forces trying to destabilise India: ‘Regime change doesn’t change circumstances’
Nagpur, October 20: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday delivered a clear message at the organisation’s annual Vijayadashami Utsav. He said certain forces are actively working to destabilise India, and that the idea of simply changing the government to fix everything is a myth that has never worked. Speaking at Reshimbagh ground, Bhagwat pointed to recent turmoil in other countries. “Look at what is happening in France, Albania, Bangladesh and Nepal,” he said. “They say regime change will change the circumstances of the country but that has never happened. It did not happen earlier, and it will not happen now.” He described a “storm” blowing in from the West — one that opposes order, culture, systems, security and basic human values. According to him, these forces see India’s steady progress over the past few decades as a threat. “India is their main target because India is progressing. These evil forces know that they cannot disrupt India the way it has moved ahead with decisive policies in the last few decades… they are trying dismantling India and the Sangh,” Bhagwat said. He did not stop at external players. Bhagwat noted that some people inside the country, driven by ambition or a simple hunger for power, end up helping these efforts. He called them people of “low intelligence and thirst for power” who reflect what the foreign forces want. The goal, he suggested, is not genuine improvement for ordinary citizens but to keep certain interests dominant by creating chaos. The remarks come against the backdrop of ongoing protests in Delhi and elsewhere demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Days earlier, senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan had described the agitation as “really a fight for regime change.” Bhagwat’s speech appeared to address that line of thinking directly without naming anyone. On protests themselves, the RSS chief was measured. He accepted that public demonstrations are a natural part of democracy. Problems will keep arising in a large, developing society like India’s, and people have every right to raise their voice. But the purpose matters. “Protests should seek solutions to problems rather than create further divisions,” he said. Solutions, he insisted, ultimately come from within society through dialogue and constructive effort, not from continuous agitation that sows bitterness or hostility between different sections of people. Bhagwat recalled older history too — how Lord Curzon once tried to divide Bengal, only for the Vande Mataram movement to force a reversal within a few years. The 1947 Partition, he said, happened because people accepted the idea that they looked different and therefore were different. The intended goals of that division were never fully achieved, he added, leaving only restive borders. The lesson he drew was simple: stay united and alert. No one can unsettle a society that refuses to be divided. He also spoke about the younger generation’s growing sense of national pride and responsibility. That awakening, combined with firm policies and steady leadership in recent decades, has already frustrated earlier attempts to weaken the country. These forces know it, which is why India remains their ultimate target. Throughout the address Bhagwat returned to the same practical point. Changing who sits in power does not automatically fix deep-rooted issues. Countries that have gone through sudden regime shifts often find the same problems — or worse ones — still staring at them. Lasting change requires social cohesion, shared purpose, and a willingness to solve problems rather than weaponise them. In a large and still-developing nation, challenges will continue. Bhagwat’s advice was straightforward: stay within constitutional limits and civil decorum, keep protests focused on solutions, and refuse to let ambition or external influence tear the social fabric. Unity and alertness, he said, are the real safeguards. The speech, delivered on the occasion of Vijayadashami, mixed caution with confidence. India’s progress has made it a target, but the same progress and the rising confidence of its people have also made success for those trying to dismantle it far harder than before. Sources:Hindustan Times, The Tribune, The Indian Express, India Today, Moneycontrol, Deccan Herald, ANI reports from the Vijayadashami Utsav in Nagpur on 20 October 2026. @Rohit Manral