The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) recently extended an invitation to Kamaltai Gavai, mother of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai, for its Vijayadashami programme scheduled on 5 October 2025 in Amravati, Maharashtra, which also coincides with the organisation’s centenary. The invitation has sparked controversy after Kamaltai issued a strongly worded letter rejecting it, while her son, Dr. Rajendra Gavai insisted that she would in fact attend.
Kamaltai’s Letter of Refusal
In a letter written in Marathi, Kamaltai Gavai said that she would not attend the event “under any circumstances” because of her Ambedkarite ideology and her family’s commitment to the Indian Constitution. She added that participating in the event would “harm social consciousness.”
“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 Dadasaheb 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. I assure you that I will not cause any harm to social consciousness in any way,” the letter stated.
Kamaltai also said that while Vijayadashami is important in Hindu culture, for Buddhists like her the day is marked as Ashok Vijayadashami or Dhammachakra Pravartan Din, commemorating Emperor Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism. She emphasised that this day, rather than the Hindu festival of Dussehra, held significance for Ambedkarites.
She described reports about her attendance as “RSS propaganda” and called them misinformation. “I strongly condemn the recently published news as misinformation and urge the public not to fall prey to such propaganda from a social perspective. I call upon my fellow Ambedkarites to take note of this and place their trust in me. Spreading this news without my consent or written approval is a conspiracy by the RSS. I do not accept this invitation,” she wrote.
Contradictory Statement from Rajendra Gavai
Soon after Kamaltai’s letter, her son Dr. Rajendra Gavai, a Republican Party of India (RPI) leader, issued a video statement asserting that both he and his mother would attend the RSS Vijayadashami event. He said that he had accepted the invitation and confirmed his mother’s presence as well.
Family’s Political Background
Kamaltai’s late husband, R S Gavai, also known as Dadasaheb Gavai, was a senior RPI leader and worked closely with B R Ambedkar. He served as chairman of the Deekshabhoomi Smarak Samiti in Nagpur and played a key role in developing the Ambedkar Memorial Committee at Deekshabhoomi. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Amravati in 1998 and served as Governor of Bihar, Sikkim, and Kerala between 2006 and 2011 during the Congress-led UPA government.
Archival records show that in 1981, R S Gavai attended the valedictory ceremony of the Sangh Shiksha Varg in Nagpur as chief guest, sharing the stage with RSS leaders Balasaheb Deoras, Bhayyaji Sahasrabuddhe, and Babasaheb Pathade.
During his tenure as Kerala Governor in 2009, Gavai granted permission to the CBI to prosecute CPM leader and current Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC-Lavalin case, against the recommendation of the state cabinet. The move was welcomed by the Congress-led UPA, which was in opposition in Kerala at the time.
CJI B R Gavai has also acknowledged that his father was associated with the Congress for over four decades as a legislator and parliamentarian. His brother, Dr. Rajendra Gavai, remains a Republican Party leader aligned with the Congress.
Recent Controversy Around CJI Gavai
The debate around Kamaltai’s refusal comes days after CJI B R Gavai himself faced criticism for remarks made during Supreme Court proceedings on 16 September 2025. While hearing a plea related to the restoration of a Hindu idol, CJI Gavai dismissed the petition as “publicity interest litigation.” Addressing the petitioner, who identified as a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu, the CJI remarked: “Go and ask the deity itself to do something now. You say you are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now.”
(With inputs from OpIndia)
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