What Mohan Bhagwat Said About LGBTQ+ Rights, Relationships and Modernity

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday told an audience in Hyderabad that LGBTQ+ people are an integral part of Indian society and should not be ostracised. Speaking at an event on contemporary motherhood, Bhagwat acknowledged that such tendencies are innate for some and acquired for others, but stressed that “our tradition recognises their existence” and that they “have a right to live.”

This is not the first time the RSS leader has made such remarks; in a January 2023 interview he said LGBTQ+ individuals should have their own private and social space. In his latest speech, he linked the acceptance to Hindu scriptures and mythology, arguing that Indian civilisation has historically accommodated these communities rather than excluding them.

In the same address, Bhagwat drew a sharp contrast with what he called a degradation: live-in relationships. He depicted marriage as a “discipline that instils dharma” and portrayed live-in arrangements as a refusal of responsibility and a blind imitation of Western culture. “What will grow with it?” he asked, pointing to problems in Western societies.

He also called on parents to practise mobile phone discipline and to lead by example, urging them to “be the change you want to see in society” and to reduce their own time on social media. India decriminalised same-sex relations in 2018, but same-sex marriage and several other rights sought by LGBTQ+ groups remain legally unrecognised.

Why the RSS Chief’s Two-Track Message Matters in India’s Social Debate

Where the RSS Stands on LGBTQ+ Inclusion

Bhagwat’s explicit and repeated recognition of LGBTQ+ people as part of the social fabric marks a notable strand within the RSS, an organisation often associated with conservative social norms. By framing acceptance as a return to an imagined ancient Indian tradition rather than a modern Western import, he positions inclusion as indigenous, not foreign. This argument may soften resistance among the RSS’s own base and provide cover for sympathetic voices in the broader Hindutva ecosystem, even while the organisation remains silent on legal recognition for same-sex marriage.

The Live-In Relationship Red Line

At the same event, Bhagwat’s stark condemnation of live-in relationships as a “degradation” and a rejection of dharma reveals the boundary the RSS is drawing. For the organisation, the family unit rooted in marriage is non-negotiable. By coupling the LGBTQ+ message with a denunciation of non-marital cohabitation, Bhagwat signals that the acceptability of diverse sexual orientations does not extend to redefining the institution of family. This dual messaging – inclusion for individuals, but not for relationship forms that challenge traditional marriage – is likely to shape the RSS’s interventions in ongoing debates over a uniform civil code and family law reforms.

Mobile Discipline and the Gen Z Critique

Bhagwat’s remarks on mobile phone use and Gen Z’s supposed imitative, emotional nature serve a broader cultural critique. He links Western cultural imports – whether live-in relationships or uncritical smartphone habits – to a loss of societal discipline. By calling on parents to model change, he shifts responsibility from the state to the family, echoing the RSS’s long-standing preference for social reform over legal diktat. This framing may resonate with middle-class anxieties about screen time but also reinforces a paternalistic view of the younger generation’s ability to make independent life choices.

What Bhagwat’s Remarks Mean for LGBTQ+ Advocacy, Policy and Public Discourse

For LGBTQ+ advocacy groups: Bhagwat’s repeated public acknowledgment provides an opening to push for social acceptance and anti-discrimination measures without directly challenging the RSS’s red lines on marriage. Expect dialogue around the “right to live” and protection from ostracism to be more productive in the near term than demands for legal recognition of same-sex unions.

For political parties: The RSS chief’s calibrated stance may be read as a signal that conservative voters can be brought along on limited LGBTQ+ inclusion, but that any proposal to legislate live-in relationship rights or same-sex marriage would face organised opposition. The ruling BJP will likely take cues from this positioning as it navigates the uniform civil code debate.

For families and educators: Bhagwat’s call for open conversation and “mobile discipline” at home could spur parent-led initiatives, but it also places the onus on families to manage the social changes that the RSS sees as problematic. Practical steps might include structured family dialogues on digital habits, but the deeper tension between tradition and individual autonomy remains unresolved.