RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. (File pic/PTI)
Sources say the Sangh chief will enter the 12-storey building with three towers near the famous Jhandewalan temple on the night of September 17, which coincidentally also is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. For the last few years, Bhagwat had to stay on the second floor of the Udasin Ashram whenever he was in the national capital
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ruling BJP’s ideological mentor, is coming back to its “original address” in Delhi, known as Keshav Kunj, near the famous Jhandewalan temple. Sources say Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat will enter this swanky new building on the night of September 17, which coincidentally also is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.
For the last few years, Bhagwat had to stay on the second floor of the Udasin Ashram whenever he was in the national capital. But on September 17, he will walk into the 12-storey RSS office.
The shifting has been in progress for the last few days which will be over on Thursday. The CISF, which guards the building, has also gone through mock drills.
There are three towers in the building, each with 12 storeys. But the residence and office of the Sarsanghchalak (head of the Sangh) are in the middle tower’s top floor, News18 has learnt. The top three floors, apart from the one at the very apex which is for the RSS chief, are kept for the most senior functionaries of the organisation like Sarkaryavah (executive head), Sahsarkaryavah (co-executive head) among others.
The offices of publications considered to be RSS mouthpieces, Panchajanya and Organiser, will also shift here and will be working out of the first tower.
The Delhi RSS office will also function from this address, out of the third tower.
Both the first and second towers will have five lifts each, while there will be fewer lifts in the third.
The office has been built over 2.5 acres of land. No wonder there’s ample parking space for 200 cars at the same time. Each tower will have at least 80 rooms.
Sources say a small hospital of 20 beds is also part of this new swanky office considering a lot of members are senior citizens.
Considering the security aspect, CCTV cameras are installed at every strategic bend, say sources. There are three entry gates to the new office which will be manned by CISF personnel. In fact, there’s a fourth corner, which will also be manned by them, after they evaluate the security aspect of the building. Sources say photography will be prohibited from outside the building due to security risks.
A sculpture of the first RSS chief Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar is installed in the premises. Apart from him, almost every RSS chief, from MS Golwalkar to Mohan Bhagwat, stayed in Keshav Kunj. But with changing times, the RSS has not just modernised its beliefs like its acknowledgement of gay rights but also its office.
