On Sunday, March 29, 2025, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur, a group often associated with extremist actions against minority communities, as reported by the Hindustan Times.
Local news sources stated that PM Modi stopped by the Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, where he honored the memorials of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and its second leader, M.S. Golwalkar.
The RSS is widely recognized as the ideological backbone of PM Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This organization advocates for India to become a Hindu nation rather than a secular state, which is a principle embedded in the country’s constitution.
During Modi’s visit, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was also present at the Smruti Mandir, which serves as the administrative center for the organization.
Modi’s visit coincided with the RSS’s Pratipada event marking Gudi Padwa, which celebrates the beginning of the Hindu New Year, according to the Hindustan Times.
However, RSS leader Sunil Ambekar mentioned to the Business Standard that Modi was not the first prime minister to visit the RSS headquarters; his predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had made a similar visit during his time in office.