RSS Chief Claims: India Has Never Invaded Any Country

Mohan Bhagwat, chief of India’s right-wing Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), claimed that India was the “greatest nation” nearly three thousand years ago. He asserted that while India led the world, it never invaded any country nor obstructed anyone else’s trade.

Bhagwat further stated that today, global powers impose tariffs on India out of fear of its rise, according to a report by Indian news outlet NDTV on Sunday, 14 September.

Speaking at the launch of a book by Prahlad Patel on the Narmada Parikrama, Bhagwat said: “We have led the world, but we never invaded any country, blocked trade, altered anyone’s culture, or converted anyone’s religion. Wherever we went, we shared civilisation, knowledge, and scriptures, and improved lives. Every nation had its own identity and all things were in place, but good communication existed between them — something that is missing today.”

He attributed India’s status as the “best nation” three thousand years ago to the awareness and pure mindset of its ancestors. According to Bhagwat: “At that time, there was no conflict in the world. Technological progress was at a very high level, yet the environment remained unharmed. Life was happy and culturally rich.”

He reiterated that India provided leadership globally without invading or interfering in the trade of other nations.

Earlier, on Friday in Nagpur, speaking at the 7th aniversary of Brahma Kumaris’ Vishva Shanti Sarovar, Bhagwat commented on the current global response to India’s rise. Without naming specific countries, he said: “People think, if someone else grows too big, what will happen to them? If India grows, where will they stand? That is why tariffs have been imposed.”

He emphasised that this was not India’s fault, but rather a reflection of fear among global powers regarding India’s growing influence: “We have done nothing, yet what they have done seems pleasing to them, because by standing alongside them, some pressure can be applied to India.”

According to the RSS chief, such actions are simply an expression of self-centred mentality.

Key Statements by Mohan Bhagwat

Bhagwat’s remarks underscore the RSS narrative of India’s moral and civilisational leadership, portraying the country as historically peaceful and principled while asserting contemporary global apprehension over India’s growing influence.