RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday used the inauguration of an affordable cancer care centre to flag concern over the “commercialisation of healthcare and education”, stressing that the two essentials had become unaffordable for common citizens.

The remark, appearing to obliquely underline the failure of the Narendra Modi government on the twin fronts, comes at a time the ruling party and the RSS are locked in a tussle over the appointment of a new BJP president.

"Good healthcare and education are extremely important. They used to be considered a seva (service). But now, both are out of reach of ordinary people,” Bhagwat said, blaming their unaffordability on "commercialisation". He was speaking after the inauguration of a cancer care centre set up by a philanthropic organisation in Indore in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.

The election of a new BJP chief has been inordinately delayed over the failure of the party and the Sangh to pick a consensus candidate. The RSS has been insisting on a “strong organisational leader” and not a “rubber stamp” as the next BJP president, while the Modi-Shah duo are learnt to be buying time to appoint a leader of their choice.

Bhagwat’s comments were seen in BJP circles as an indication of the Sangh’s mounting frustration over the party's refusal to appoint a president who would be acceptable to the parent outfit.

The two sectors that Bhagwat flagged — health and education — also raised eyebrows in the BJP circles. Health minister J.P. Nadda, whose term as party boss expired in January 2023, continues on extension. The education ministry is headed by Dharmendra Pradhan, who is said to be the top choice of Modi-Shah to be the next BJP president.

“It’s an age of knowledge. Therefore, education is important. If you want to acquire knowledge, then the instrument is the body. A healthy body can do everything, while an unhealthy body can only desire… Sadly, both are out of reach of a normal person’s financial capacity,” Bhagwat said.

"I heard a minister some years ago saying that Indian education is a trillion-dollar business,” he said to buttress his “commercialisation" claim.

The Congress seized on Bhagwat's remarks to taunt the Modi government. "Today, health and education are beyond the reach of the common person. They are no longer easily accessible or affordable — Mohan Bhagwat has exposed the Modi government's shortcomings," the Congress said on X.