The recent four-day visit of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat to Arunachal Pradesh has sparked political controversy, with the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) calling the timing of the visit “questionable and objectionable.” In a statement issued on Monday, the APCC alleged that Bhagwat’s visit coincided with growing tensions over the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978, a law that has become a point of contention among various tribal communities. The Congress claimed that the RSS leader’s engagements were strategically aligned with efforts to push forward newly drafted rules for APFRA during the upcoming budget session of the State Assembly.
“The four-day official tour of the Right-Wing organizational leader in a peaceful tribal state ahead of RSS’s 100th anniversary raises serious concerns. It appears to have a political and religious agenda, paving the way for the BJP government to act on the APFRA 1978 Anti-Conversion Act,” the Congress stated. During his visit, Bhagwat met RSS functionaries, indigenous faith leaders, and attended events such as the Prant Karyakarta Shivir. The Congress alleges that these engagements were aimed at strengthening the RSS’s ideological presence in the region. Congress spokesperson Kon Jo Jotham further warned that Bhagwat’s visit could escalate tensions, drawing parallels to ethnic and religious conflicts in neighboring Manipur. “The visit has emboldened RSS-backed groups and their alliances in pushing for the implementation of the APFRA Act,” he said.
The Congress also accused the RSS of treating Arunachal Pradesh as a “soft target” for its ideological expansion in the Northeast. Reports suggest that Bhagwat’s visit included stops at several indigenous faith worship sites, where he met leaders who reportedly support stricter enforcement of the controversial religious law. While the RSS has maintained that the visit was a routine outreach initiative, the political debate surrounding it continues to intensify, with Congress demanding clarity on the motives behind Bhagwat’s engagements in the state.
