In a landmark first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled a ₹100 commemorative coin and postal stamp to mark the 100 years of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), calling it a &ldquo;moment of great pride and historical significance.&rdquo;
The silver coin, released at a centenary event hosted by the Ministry of Culture, carries the image of Bharat Mata flanked by RSS swayamsevaks bowing before her in the organisation&rsquo;s traditional uniform. It also bears the RSS motto, &ldquo;Rashtray Swaha, Idam Rashtraya, Idam Na Mama&rdquo;&nbsp;translated as &ldquo;everything is dedicated to the nation, everything is the nation&rsquo;s, nothing is mine.&rdquo;
The accompanying postal stamp highlights RSS participation in the 1963 Republic Day parade, evoking its presence during the India-China war.
<h3 data-start="1093" data-end="1120">Modi&rsquo;s Praise for RSS</h3>
Hailing the Sangh&rsquo;s century-long journey, Modi said the organisation had remained committed to the idea of &ldquo;nation first.&rdquo; &ldquo;The Sangh has fought against the atrocities of the British. Its only interest has always been love towards the nation,&rdquo; he declared, recalling that RSS volunteers had sheltered freedom fighters and faced imprisonment during the struggle for independence.
He added that despite &ldquo;several attacks&rdquo; over decades, the Sangh never displayed bitterness and continued its mission of cultural awareness, service, and discipline.
<h3 data-start="1673" data-end="1698">Opposition Pushback</h3>
The move, however, triggered a fierce backlash. The Congress accused the government of glorifying an organisation that &ldquo;stood aloof from the independence movement,&rdquo; with senior leader Jairam Ramesh citing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel&rsquo;s 1948 letter to Syama Prasad Mookerjee linking RSS activities to the climate that enabled Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s assassination.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) went a step further, calling the depiction of Bharat Mata a &ldquo;sectarian concept of a Hindutva Rashtra.&rdquo; The CPI(M) politburo described the coin and stamp release as a &ldquo;grave insult to the Constitution,&rdquo; alleging an attempt to rewrite history.
Party general secretary MA Baby posted on X: &ldquo;The PM is misusing his office to legitimise the RSS&rsquo;s sectarian agenda and distort India&rsquo;s freedom struggle.&rdquo;
<h3 data-start="2516" data-end="2541">Historical Backdrop</h3>
Founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the RSS was envisioned as a volunteer-based organisation fostering cultural pride, discipline, and national service. Modi himself was once an RSS pracharak before joining the BJP, which considers the Sangh its ideological parent.
The centenary coin marks not only a symbolic celebration of the RSS&rsquo;s legacy but also a deepening fault line in Indian politics, where the line between heritage and ideology remains hotly contested.

First-ever ₹100 coin with Bharat Mata sparks RSS centenary row

Bharat Mata on Coin: Pride or Politics?

First-ever ₹100 coin with Bharat Mata sparks RSS centenary row

October 2, 2025 | 09:24 IST