Protests must be guided by national interest, says RSS leader Sunil Ambekar

Everyone has the right to raise issues concerning the country through demonstrations, but such protests must be conducted with the national interest in mind, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) national publicity in-charge Sunil Ambekar said on Saturday (October 31, 2026).

He also urged people to remain vigilant against attempts by anti-national forces to exploit public demonstrations. Mr. Ambekar was speaking to the media in Indore ahead of the RSS’ three-day national meeting, scheduled to begin on Monday (November 2).

The meeting is expected to bring together 408 functionaries, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale. Discussions are likely to cover organisational changes within the Sangh ahead of its election year, centenary-year programmes, drugs and other burning issues in the country.

On being asked whether the Sangh had been slow to connect with younger generations, particularly in the wake of the recent Gen-Z protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Mr. Ambekar said people are free to raise questions or concerns about issues affecting the country.

He added that the RSS should not be seen as taking sides on matters raised by citizens. “If someone raises a question concerning the country, that is fine. They have the right to do so,” he said. Referring to the RSS chief’s Vijayadasami address in which he had spoken about the need to guard against agitations that could divide society, Mr.

Ambekar said protests should serve the country’s interests and contribute to its progress. “Protests taking place in the country must be conducted keeping the national interest in mind. They should aim to take the nation forward.

Everyone must, therefore, remain vigilant to ensure that forces working against national interests do not infiltrate demonstrations and exploit them for their own purposes,” he said. Mr. Ambekar added that the RSS was conscious of these concerns and would continue to remain attentive to them.

On the controversy surrounding the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, Mr. Ambekar said the RSS had already described the circular as “imbalanced”. He said the government and the UGC had taken note of the concerns raised over the regulations, while the court had also stayed their implementation.

The matter is currently under judicial consideration. “Our position is that whatever happens next on this issue should be balanced, and the government must ensure this,” Mr. Ambekar said. He added that a single circular should not be allowed to disrupt social harmony and stressed the need to keep society united.

The controversy over the UGC’s 2026 equity regulations centres on their definition of caste-based discrimination. The provisions cover students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), but do not extend the same protection to students from the general category.

Citing the recent visits of Mr. Bhagwat and Mr. Hosabale to foreign countries, he said the RSS is considering to expand its global outreach and a plan in this regards will be discussed in the Indore meeting.