RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, at helm for 16 years, turns 75 on Thursday

New Delhi, Sep 10 (PTI) RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, who turns 75 on Thursday, has been at the helm as its "guide and philosopher" of the Sangh for more than 16 years.

Born on September 11, 1950 in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, Bhagwat is the third longest-serving chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after Madhukar Dattatreya Deoras, popularly known as Balasaheb; and M S Golwalkar.

While Balasaheb, the third RSS chief, was at the helm for more than 20 years, Golwalkar, the second sarsanghchalak, led the Hindutva organisation for more than 32 years.

Bhagwat started working as an RSS 'paracharak' about 50 years ago and became its sarsanghchalak (chief) in March 2009, rising through the ranks.

His father, Madhukarrao Bhagwat, was also a 'pracharak', meaning a full-time RSS worker.

Bhagwat's remarks on a couple of occasions about people in public life retiring at the age of 75 had triggered speculation that his suggestion was directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will also turn 75 on September 17, or that he indicated his own exit.

However, he laid the speculation to rest recently by clarifying that he was merely referring to the statements made by late RSS leader Moropant Pingle in a lighter vein.

"We are ready to retire anytime in life and ready to work as long as Sangh wants us to work," the RSS chief said, responding to questions on his remarks during his three-day lecture series organised here at Vigyan Bhawan last month to mark the centenary of the organisation.

"I never said that I will retire or someone else should retire," he said, adding, "In the Sangh, swayamsevaks (volunteers) are given a job whether they want it or not… We do whatever Sangh tells us to do." Bhagwat said that he had only quoted Pingle at an event in Nagpur recently just to highlight the witticism of the late RSS leader.

"He was so witty that his witticism made you bounce in your chair... Once in our programme, we were all there all-India karyakartas and he (Pingle) completed his 70 years. So, he was given a shawl and was asked to say something... he stood up and said that 'you might be thinking that you have felicitated me but I know when this shawl is given, it means you sit in a chair calmly and see what happens'," the RSS chief said.

Bhagwat was the RSS sarkaryavah (general secretary), second-in-command, before he was made the organisation's chief.

Earlier, he served as the RSS' Akhil Bharatiya Sharirik Pramukh (national in-charge of physical training). PTI PK PK KSS KSS