Yogi Adityanath to meet Mohan Bhagwat today. What it means amid RSS-BJP split rumours

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat are set to meet in Gorakhpur, Adityanath's constituency, on Saturday afternoon. The "courtesy meet" coincides with Bhagwat's visit for an RSS event either between 2 and 4 pm or after the latter's visit to the Gorakhnath Temple.

However, the meeting is significant as it take place only a week after Bhagwat's crucial speech in Nagpur. 

Bhagwat, last week stressed on the need for consensus between the ruling side and the opposition so that work for common good (of the masses) can be carried out. 

Polls are to gain majority and it is a competition and not war, Bhagwat pointed out. 

Political parties and leaders bad-mouthing each other are not taking into account that these may cause rifts among communities, he said and lamented that even the RSS was being dragged into it without any reason. 

No rift between the RSS and the BJP

However, the RSS, however, rejected the talk of a split with its political unit.

“There is no rift between the RSS and the BJP,” sources close to develpment told PTI, amid the assertion by a section of people, including the opposition leaders, that Bhagwat's remarks, including "true sevak is never arrogant", were a message to the BJP leadership following its below-par performance in the polls.

"There was not much difference in his (Bhagwat) speech from what he had given after the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Any address is bound to make a reference to an event as important as national elections.

"But it was misinterpreted and taken out of context to create confusion. His 'arrogance' remark was never directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi or any BJP leader," the sources said.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP aimed for 370 seats but secured only 240, falling short of the majority mark due to strong opposition from the INDIA group and policy pushback. They relied on Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu to form a government for a third consecutive term.