Did Mohan Bhagwat target Narendra Modi again with 'devta-bhagwan' jibe?

In what is being perceived as yet another attack on Prime Minister Modi, RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) chief Mohan Bhagwat has referred to people "who want to become superman, to become devta (deity)…Bhagwan (God).”

Addressing a village-level workers' interaction programme in Bishnupur, Jharkhand, Bhagwat said, "There is no end to progress. People want to become superman, but they don't stop there; then they want to become devta, then Bhagwan. But Bhagwan says He is vishwaroop. Nobody knows if there is anything beyond that. There is no end to development,” Bhagwat said, in what appeared to be a veiled attack on Modi.

Bhagwat's comment is particularly significant as it comes at a time when the BJP is grappling with infighting in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, with speculation growing about a rift between the party and its ideological parent RSS.

Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh was quick to react. Taking a jibe at Modi, Ramesh wrote in on X in Hindi, “I am sure the self-proclaimed non-biological prime minister must have received news of this latest Agni missile fired from Nagpur via Jharkhand targeting Lok Kalyan Marg.”

Ramesh was referring to the now infamous interview with News18 during the recent Lok Sabha election campaign, in which Modi had said, “When my mother was alive, I used to believe that I was born biologically. Once she passed, upon reflecting on all my experiences, I was convinced that God has sent me to Earth. This energy could not be from my biological body but was bestowed upon me by God...whenever I do anything, I believe God is guiding me.”

After the BJP’s unexpectedly modest showing in the Lok Sabha polls, Bhagwat had remarked that a "true sevak should not be arrogant".

Citing renowned poet Tulsidas, Bhagwat had said, “Sab nara karahin paraspar priti (all humans will have mutual respect for each other). Jo karm karta hai, par karm mein lipt nahin hota, usmein ahankar nahi hota, wahi sevak kehlane ka adhikari hota hai (only he who practices karma, but does so selflessly, deserves to be called a sevak)."

Bhagwat had also remarked that maryada (dignity) and sanyam (restraint) were lacking in the BJP campaign, and also pointed out that the RSS views the Opposition not as an enemy (virodhi) but as a counterpoint (pratipaksh). 

Though the RSS later clarified that Bhagwat’s remarks were not aimed at Modi or the BJP, the RSS mouthpiece Organizer published a scathing editorial, leaving no room for doubt that Bhagwat’s remarks were actually aimed at Modi.

Written by RSS member Ratan Sharda, the article, titled 'Modi 3.0: Conversation for course correction' came within a week of the election results which were declared on 4 June.

Sharda’s article noted that though RSS is not a "field force" of the BJP, party leaders and workers failed to reach out to its swayamsevaks (volunteers) seeking their cooperation in electoral work.

Interestingly, in the days before the article was published, BJP national president J.P. Nadda had mentioned how the BJP had grown and did not need the RSS the way it did earlier.

In his article, Sharda noted that targets are achieved by hard work on the field, not sharing selfies on social media. "Since they were happy in their bubble, enjoying the glow reflected from Modiji's aura, they were not listening to the voices on the streets," he added. The idea that Modi was fighting all 543 Lok Sabha seats had “limited value”, Sharda wrote.

“This idea became self-defeating when candidates were changed, imposed at the cost of local leaders, and defectors given more importance. Sacrificing even well-performing parliamentarians to accommodate latecomers hurt. It is estimated that around 25 per cent of candidates were seasonal migrants,” the RSS member also wrote.

A more recent article in Marathi magazine Vivek, which is also linked to the RSS, cited lack of communication between BJP leaders and workers and blamed the BJP's alliance with Ajit Pawar's NCP as one of the reasons behind the BJP's poor performance in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections.

As the ideological parent of the BJP, the RSS and its affiliates have criticised Modi on numerous occasions since the Lok Sabha results were announced, fueling speculation that all is not well within the Sangh Parivar.