Amravati: A fresh political and ideological storm has erupted in Maharashtra after Kamaltai Gavai, mother of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai, openly rejected an invitation from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to attend its upcoming Vijayadashami program in Amravati on October 5, 2025. While her letter categorically denies her participation and criticises the very idea of attending a Hindu festival as being “harmful to social consciousness,” her son Dr. Rajendra Gavai, a Republican Party of India leader, has contradicted her stance, insisting that she would indeed be present at the event.
The RSS has planned a grand celebration on October 5 to mark not only Vijayadashami — traditionally the organisation’s most significant annual function — but also its centenary year. Invitations were extended to several eminent personalities, including Kamaltai Gavai, who heads the Dada Saheb Gavai Charitable Trust. Reports that she would attend gained traction in regional media, sparking speculation due to her being the mother of the serving Chief Justice of India.
However, Kamaltai Gavai issued a strongly worded letter in Marathi rejecting the invite and distancing herself from the event. In her statement, she wrote:
“The news recently published about the RSS Vijayadashami program scheduled for October 5 at 6:30 PM at the Shrimati Narsamma Mahavidyalaya Ground in Amravati, Maharashtra, is utterly false. As the founding president of the Dada Saheb Gavai Charitable Trust, deeply rooted in Ambedkarite ideology, and with my family’s unwavering commitment to the Constitution of India, I will never attend or support the upcoming RSS program in Amravati under any circumstances.”
She further added that attending an event celebrating Vijayadashami would “harm social consciousness,” a remark that has drawn sharp criticism from many who see it as Hinduphobic. Kamaltai went on to clarify that for Ambedkarite Buddhists like her, “Ashok Vijayadashami” or Dhammachakra Pravartan Din — the day commemorating Emperor Ashoka’s embrace of Buddhism — holds true significance.
Kamaltai also accused the RSS of propaganda, arguing that media reports suggesting her attendance were nothing but attempts to mislead people. “Spreading this news without my consent or written approval is a conspiracy by the RSS. I do not accept this invitation,” she asserted in her letter.
The controversy took another twist when her son, Dr. Rajendra Gavai, publicly contradicted her statement. In a video message, he insisted that his mother would indeed attend the event alongside him. Rajendra, who is a leader of the Republican Party and a member of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial Committee at Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur, said: “Both my mother and I have accepted the invitation. We will be attending the Vijayadashami program organised by the RSS.”
This contradictory messaging from within the Gavai family has only deepened the confusion. Observers note that while Kamaltai has taken an uncompromising stance rooted in Ambedkarite ideology, her son appears more pragmatic, pointing to the family’s historical ties with the RSS. In fact, her late husband, Ramkrishna Suryabhan Gavai — popularly known as Dadasaheb Gavai and a senior Republican Party of India (RPI) leader — attended the RSS’s Sangh Shiksha Varg valedictory ceremony in Nagpur as chief guest back in 1981.
Political commentators believe that Kamaltai’s rejection letter was not just about personal ideology but also a statement meant to resonate with Ambedkarite followers in Maharashtra, where caste and identity politics continue to hold sway. By emphasising her loyalty to the Constitution and Ambedkarite values, she sought to reaffirm her ideological positioning.
The episode has sparked heated debate across Maharashtra’s political circles. Critics of Kamaltai argue that her remarks about Hindu festivals “harming social consciousness” are offensive and divisive, while her supporters view them as a principled stand against what they see as RSS’s attempts at co-option.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Kamaltai Gavai will actually attend the October 5 program or stick to her written declaration of rejection.
