Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis issued a strong denial on Monday amid claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be ‘retiring’ soon. The remarks came soon after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut suggested that the PM had visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur to herald his retirement over the weekend.
“There is no need to search for his successor. He (Modi) is our leader and will continue. In our culture, when the father is alive, it is inappropriate to talk about succession. That is Mughal culture. The time has not come to discuss it,” Fadnavis said.
Opposition leaders have repeatedly brought up his ‘future’ as PM in recent months as Modi inches closer to the age of 75. As per an unwritten ‘rule’ of the BJP, party leaders past this age do not typically hold Ministerial berths. Fadnavis however insisted that there was no such replacement plan currently in place. He further claimed that Modi would once again become the Prime Minister of India in 2029.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the RSS headquarters on Sunday for the first time since taking over the top post — with Sangh members dubbing his it a “very important and historic” trip. The Prime Minister started his visit by paying tribute to Hedgewar at Smruti Mandir, the administrative headquarters of the organisation. He was accompanied by leading members of the party including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Fadnavis as well as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
“Modi’s successor will be from Maharashtra, and RSS will decide on that. PM Modi visited RSS headquarters to discuss his retirement plans,” Raut told reporters at a press conference soon after the meeting.
PM Modi also held a roadshow in Nagpur after the meeting at RSS headquarters — with large crowds lining the streets to greet him. He also visited the Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited facility, where he inaugurated the Loitering Munition Test Range.