New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said that the RSS brought acche din for the Bharatiya Janata Party and not the other way around while speaking at an event in Bombay. Speaking at a two-day lecture series on 100 years of the RSS held over the weekend, the Sangh chief also reiterated that a leader should ideally work without holding office after turning 75. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhagwat turned 75 last year.Acche dinOn being asked about acche din for the RSS, Bhagwat said, “…acche din did not come because of the BJP, actually it is the other way round…our acche din came from our hard work…. We remained committed to Ram Mandir construction. Those who supported us benefitted.” The RSS chief said that organisations like The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and the BJP, are all part of the Sangh parivar but function independently. “They all are independent bodies but there are several swayamsevaks working in [them]…if needed, we give advice to them, if required we alert them…the decisions are theirs…but sometimes their sins are blamed on us because they have come from within us as swayamsevaks,” he said. “Let us be clear that political pressure comes from voters and not RSS…our system has become a vote-wadi system…this needs to change,” Bhagwat said. Dig on turning 75Bhagwat once again spoke of how leaders should know when to step back and take on a guiding role after turning 75. He said that he had only continued holding a post because the RSS asked him to.“Generally, it is said that after turning 75, one should work without holding any post…I have completed 75 years and informed the RSS, but the organisation asked me to continue working. Whenever the RSS asks me to step down, I will do so, but retirement from work will never happen…it extracts work till the last drop of blood from its volunteers…and, there has not yet been a situation in the RSS’ history where someone had to be retired,” he said.In July last year, Bhagwat’s remarks at a book launch had stirred a debate on Modi’s retirement, with many seeing the comments as a hint to the prime minister to step down.The next RSS chiefBhagwat said that only a Hindu can become the next RSS chief, irrespective of their caste. “Being (from the) SC or ST (community) is not a disqualification, at the same time being a Brahmin is also no qualification. In the future, an SC/ST could even become the RSS chief. Our thinking is who is the best available…one has to be the best…one has to be available. In my case, (when I became the chief) there were several people who were best but were not available.I was the one who could be relieved from duties and appointed (the RSS chief),” he said. ‘All Indians are one’Bhagwat said that all Indians are one people, adding that Hindus and Sikhs are one in society. The RSS has long considered Sikhism to be a sect within Hinduism – a view that is resisted by the Sikh community. Sikh leaders have gone as far as calling for a ban on the RSS.Referring to Islam and Christianity, Bhagwat said, “Islam is called the religion of peace, but peace is not seen. If there is no spirituality in religion, it becomes dominating and aggressive. What is seen in Islam, and Christianity today is not as per the teachings of Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad. We need to practice what is true Islam and true Christianity,” he said.