Jagdeep Dhankhar, Israeli Consul General among invitees to RSS’s Vijayadashami event

FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT Jagdeep Dhankhar and Israeli Consul General Yaniv Revanch will be among the prominent guests at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Vijayadashami celebrations in Nagpur on October 20, marking the conclusion of the organisation’s centenary year.

Dainik Jagran editor Sanjay Gupta will be the chief guest at the event, where RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat will deliver his customary Vijayadashami address, outlining the Sangh’s achievements during its centenary year and setting out its priorities for the year ahead.

The annual address is among the most significant events in the Sangh’s calendar, serving not merely as a review of organisational activities but also as an occasion for its chief to articulate the RSS’s position on contemporary political, social and international developments.

Among the invitees, Dhankhar’s presence is particularly significant, given the circumstances surrounding his abrupt resignation as Vice-President on July 21, 2025, barely three years into his five-year term. Dhankhar had cited the need to prioritise healthcare and follow medical advice, but the timing of his departure, on the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session, had raised questions in political circles.

His resignation had come amid reports of differences over the handling of parliamentary business, including an Opposition-backed notice seeking the removal of a judge. Opposition leaders had questioned whether health concerns alone explained the decision. No alternative explanation for his resignation has been conclusively established.

Dhankhar’s subsequent withdrawal from public life further fuelled speculation. In February this year, he sought to clarify his position, saying he had never claimed to be ill but had only said that he was prioritising his health.

Against this backdrop, his appearance at the RSS’s most important annual function is likely to draw attention, particularly because the Sangh occupies a central position in the ideological ecosystem of the BJP.

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RSS functionaries, however, sought to play down any political significance attached to the invitation.

“There is no special reason for inviting Dhankhar. He had expressed willingness to attend and so we have invited him. The Sangh keeps in touch with everyone,” a Sangh functionary said.

The invitation to Israeli Consul General Yaniv Rewanch is also noteworthy, particularly against the backdrop of the continuing turmoil in West Asia and India’s close strategic and defence relationship with Israel. The presence of an Israeli diplomatic representative at the Sangh’s centenary closing event carries symbolic significance, reflecting the organisation’s engagement with international representatives and its growing visibility beyond India’s domestic political landscape.

Last year’s Vijayadashami function, held on October 2, marked the beginning of the Sangh’s centenary celebrations. Former President Ram Nath Kovind was the chief guest, a choice that carried social significance given the RSS’s emphasis on Samajik Samrasta, or social harmony, and its efforts to address caste divisions within Hindu society.

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Kovind, in his address, invoked the legacies of Dr B R Ambedkar, RSS founder K B Hedgewar and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and praised the Sangh’s contribution to social unity and nation building. A message from the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, appreciating the RSS’s service activities was also read out at the function.

In his Vijayadashami address last year, Bhagwat spoke on a wide range of issues, from the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s response to it to the US tariffs, instability in neighbouring countries, economic self-reliance and social cohesion.

Referring to the Pahalgam attack and India’s subsequent military response, Bhagwat had praised the country’s political leadership and armed forces while stressing the importance of strengthening national security capabilities. He also said the episode had helped India identify its genuine friends in the international community.

On the economic front, Bhagwat had called for greater self-reliance in the backdrop of the tariff measures imposed by the United States, cautioning against excessive dependence on other countries. He had argued that while international interdependence was unavoidable, India needed to strengthen its own economic capabilities.

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He had also referred to political upheavals in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, warning that violent protests and instability could not produce lasting solutions. His remarks had come against the backdrop of youth-led unrest and political upheavals in the region.

Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur on Vijayadashami in 1925, the RSS has used its centenary year to expand its outreach through Hindu Sammelans, household contact programmes and initiatives aimed at strengthening social cohesion.