RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Meets PM Modi at Delhi Residence: Reports

Amid escalating tensions following the brutal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg on Tuesday evening.

The meeting took place shortly after the Prime Minister chaired a high-level security meeting with top defence officials to assess India’s strategic and military response to the April 22 attack, in which 26 civilians — most of them tourists — were killed. Intelligence sources have linked the attack to Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, with reports indicating that five to six heavily armed operatives infiltrated the Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam before executing the carnage.

According to reports, PM Modi reiterated during the security review that the Indian Armed Forces have been granted “complete operational freedom” to determine the mode, timing, and targets of the nation's response. “It is our national resolve to deliver a crushing blow to terrorism,” the Prime Minister was quoted as saying.

The high-level security review was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The RSS chief’s meeting with the Prime Minister gains added significance in light of Bhagwat’s recent strong public remarks. Addressing a gathering days after the attack, Bhagwat had called for an uncompromising response from the government. “We hope for a strong response. People were killed after being asked about their religion. Hindus would never do such a thing. There is pain in our hearts. We are angry,” he had stated.

Without directly naming Prime Minister Modi, Bhagwat underscored the responsibility of leadership in times of national crisis. “We never insult or harm our neighbours. But if someone turns to evil, what is the other option? The duty of the king is to protect the people. Teaching hooligans a lesson is also part of the duty,” he said.

The back-to-back meetings come at a critical juncture, as India contemplates a decisive and calibrated response to what has been widely condemned as a cowardly act of terror. Diplomatic tensions with Pakistan have also intensified, with New Delhi already taking steps to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty and revoke visas of Pakistani nationals, further signalling a shift in India’s posture.

As the nation mourns the victims of the Pahalgam massacre, all eyes are now on the government’s next course of action.