Seems like Narendra Modi's Nagpur visit has ruffled feathers in Maharashtra.

The Prime Minister's historic visit to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters has made popular faces in the political arena fire retirement jabs. Leading the charge is Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.

He has claimed that the RSS will decide the successor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that the chosen leader will be from Maharashtra.

Raut made these remarks in a press conference, stating that PM Modi visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur to discuss his retirement plans.

Modi's visit marks only the second time a sitting Prime Minister has officially visited the organisation’s central office.

The first such visit was by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000 during his third term as PM.

“Modi’s successor will be from Maharashtra, and RSS will decide on that,” Raut told reporters. “PM Modi visited RSS headquarters to discuss his retirement plans. To my knowledge, in the last 10-11 years, Modi ji has never visited the RSS headquarters. This time, he went to inform Mohan Bhagwat that he is saying 'Tata-Bye-Bye',” Raut added.

The Rajya Sabha MP further stated that the RSS is pushing for a leadership change at the national level.

“Sangh will decide the future leader, and he will be from Maharashtra. There are two things I have understood about the RSS: first, the organisation wants a change in the country’s leadership; and second, Modi ji’s time is over, and he himself wants change,” he asserted.

Congress leader's jab follows

Raut's comments were echoed by Congress leader Husain Dalwai, who remarked, “I think what he said is right. They retire people who cross 75 years. PM Modi is also ageing, so maybe they are thinking about retirement now. He must have gone there to make them happy… RSS is a terrorist organisation and formed organisations like VHP and Bajrang Dal.”

The BJP was quick to refute these speculations.

Fadnavis defends Modi

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the country and the party looked at Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister in 2029 as well, and that it was a Mughal tradition to speak of succession when the ‘father was alive’.

Meanwhile, Sangh member Seshadri Chari termed the Prime Minister’s visit as “very important and historic,” insisting that there is “no difference of opinion” between the RSS and the BJP.