By: Express Web DeskNew Delhi | October 2, 2025 10:55 AM IST 3 min readHailing Operation Sindoor, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, Thursday, said the government of India gave a fitting response after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilian tourists were killed by armed terrorists.“The attack led to a wave of grief, sadness and anger across Bharat,” RSS chief said. “Even though we maintain friendly relations with other countries, and we will continue to do so, when it comes to our security, we need to be more careful, more watchful and stronger. After the Pahalgam attack, the positions taken by various countries also revealed which of them are our friends, and to what extent,” he said.He was speaking at the RSS’s annual Vijayadashmi rally, which also marked the centenary of the organisation. The RSS was founded on Dussehra (September 27) in 1925 in Nagpur by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, a physician from Maharashtra.He said extremist elements had faced action from the government, while society too distanced itself after recognising their “hollowness”. “They will be controlled. A major hurdle has now been removed in that area,” the RSS chief said.Amid US tariff impact on India, Bhagwat called for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, he said, “we must ensure that dependence does not become a compulsion for us, and we are able to act according to our own will. There is no substitute for Swadeshi and Swavalamban.” “The world lives on interdependence. But by becoming self-reliant ourselves, keeping in mind the unity of world life, we must become such that we live this interdependence not as our compulsion but of our own volition. There is no substitute for Swadeshi and self-reliance.”He also said that the lack of schemes ensuring justice, development, goodwill, sensitivity and strength often leads to the rise of extremist forces.“People who are annoyed by the system’s lethargy tend to seek support from such extremist elements. To prevent this, the state and society must work together through initiatives that give people faith in the system,” Bhagwat said.Story continues below this adHe also expressed concern over recent regime changes in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, triggered by public unrest. ‘The forces wanting to create such disturbances in Bharat are active inside as well as outside our country,’ he said.Former president Ram Nath Kovind was present as the chief guest at the event.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd