The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday said that there was nothing wrong with expressing grief over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei; however, it should not puncture social harmony.
The remarks come during a press conference at Samalkha, Haryana, on the concluding day of RSS’s highest decision-making body meeting. RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosable said that the RSS does not stop people from grieving, but the emotions should not disturb the social harmony and should remain peaceful.
“People have their own sentiments, and the Sangh doesn’t get into that. Expression of grief or sentiments should happen in a peaceful manner without targeting any other community, the RSS said.
“Expression of grief on someone’s death can happen anywhere in the world. According to Indian traditions, there may be enmity with a person till he is alive; after death, there is no enmity,” he added.
Sangh has no role in what is happening in West Asia; we only want that there should be peace in the world. Wars happen because of multiple reasons. But they should end quickly, and normalcy should return,” he remarked on the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
He also announced that the RSS is considering a structural reorganization in view of the rapid expansion of its activities across the country. He said the issue had been discussed in recent internal meetings.
The RSS announced that the structural expansion would move from 46 prants to over 80 sambhags to better manage its network of more than 88,000 shakhas.
“With the Sangh’s work expanding and more than 88,000 shakhas operating across the country, the idea of decentralizing the organizational structure has been proposed to ensure effective management,” he said.
“Instead of 46 prants, there will now be more than 80 sambhags,” he said.
Responding to a question on the ongoing dispute over the University Grants Commission (UGC) rules aimed at addressing caste-based discrimination, Hosabale declined to comment, citing that the matter was pending before the courts. “We believe that the government is doing everything necessary to secure the interests of India. Whatever the Indian government is doing is right,” he added.
The Iran–Israel war erupted on June 13, 2025, when Israel launched a large-scale surprise attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, military sites, and leadership, killing senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, including Hossein Salami, as well as several nuclear scientists. The conflict, later dubbed the “12-Day War,” marked a major escalation between the two countries.
Iran retaliated with ballistic missile barrages under an operation called “True Promise 3,” targeting Israeli cities and military bases. While most of the missiles were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, the attacks resulted in 24 deaths in Israel. In Iran, more than 220 people were reported killed as Israel carried out nearly 360 strikes across 27 provinces.
The United States, under President Donald Trump, joined the conflict by June 22 with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. A ceasefire was reached after 12 days of fighting, exposing Israel’s air superiority while also highlighting Iran’s missile capabilities and leaving regional tensions high heading into 2026.
