Several NDA allies send congratulatory messages to the RSS on centenary

Several allies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the Jana Sena Party led by Pawan Kalyan, and the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde on Thursday (October 2, 2025) extended greetings to the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on its centenary year celebrations marked on October 2.

“I extend my sincere congratulations to the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh on completing 100 years. Wishing them continued success in their service to the nation, particularly in providing humanitarian support to people in times of need,” Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu said in his post on social media platform X.

Mr. Kalyan, also an NDA partner from Andhra Pradesh, in a lengthy post in Hindi and English on X, extended his “profound wishes to the RSS on completing 100 glorious years of discipline, service and nation first commitment”. The organisation had “stood at the forefront silently serving the nation”, including during the movement for India’s Independence, and natural calamities, Mr. Kalyan added. The contributions of RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar, and the “unwavering commitment” of the organisation’s current chief, Mohan Bhagwat, also found mention in his post.

JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha, too, posted a congratulatory message for the RSS on his X account, commending the organisation for “their journey of discipline, dedication and seva (service)”, which had, he said, “left a lasting imprint on society”.

Shrikant Shinde, Mr. Eknath Shinde’s son, posted a video message in Marathi on his X account, where he said that the RSS had made “a valuable contribution to the work of nation building” and that the “tradition of regularity, self discipline, and public awareness in the programmes of the Sangh Parivar is undoubtably inspiring”. He spoke of the support provided by the RSS and its affiliated organisations during “periods of crisis”, which “safeguarded societal values”.

While Mr. Pawan Kalyan’s wishes were effusive and lengthy, LJP chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan posted a brief message, extending greetings to all swayamsewaks of the organisation, referring to the RSS as “Rashtra Sewak Sangh” rather than Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh.

Union Minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy also posted a congratulatory message to say “the journey of the Sangh has been marked by commitment, discipline and service to society”.

The congratulatory messages from the NDA partners, many of whom also receive support from minority communities, is significant in what it says about the inner cohesion of the alliance. Till the time of writing, however, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the Hindustani Awam Morcha, and the Rashtriya Lok Manch were yet to put out any congratulatory messages.

The RSS, on the occasion of Vijayadasami on Thursday, marked its centenary with a celebration in Nagpur and across the country, which followed the release of a postage stamp and commemorative coin on the organisation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. Mr. Modi characterised the RSS as a “newer manifestation of an ancient tradition, where India’s eternal consciousness expresses itself periodically, in different forms, to face the challenges of the times. In our times, the Sangh is the embodiment of that timeless national consciousness”.