Svetlqer at 05:22, 16 February 2026

2026-02-16T05:22:31Z

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{{Short description|General Secretary of Rashtriya Swayamsevaka Sangha (RSS)}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Dattatreya Hosabale
| image = Dattatreya Hosabale.jpg
| birth_name =
| caption = Dattatreya Hosabale in 2025
| office = [[Sarkaryavah]] of the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]]
| occupation = Sarakaryavaha, RSS
| successor =
| term_start = 20 March 2021
| death_date =
| death_place =
| signature =
| birth_place = [[Shimoga]], [[Mysuru State]] (present{{endash}}day Karnataka), [[India]]
| birth_date = {{birth_date and age|1954|12|1|df=y}}
| predecessor = [[Suresh Joshi (RSS)|Suresh Joshi]]
}}

'''Dattatreya Hosabale''' (born 1 December 1954) is the current ''[[Sarkaryavah]]'' (General Secretary) of the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS), a [[Hindutva]] [[paramilitary]] organisation, since 2021. He had previously served as the ''Sangathan Mantri'' (General Secretary) of the [[Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad]] (ABVP), a student wing of the RSS.

== Early life and student politics ==
Dattatreya Hosabale was born on 1 December 1954, in [[Shimoga]], [[Mysore State]]. His family was deeply affiliated with the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Hebbar |first=Nistula |date=20 March 2021 |title=Analysis {{!}} Who is Dattatreya Hosabale? |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/analysis-who-is-dattatreya-hosabale/article61924403.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212003325/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/analysis-who-is-dattatreya-hosabale/article61924403.ece |archive-date=12 December 2022 |website=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>

Hosabale joined the RSS in 1968, before joining the [[Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad]] (ABVP) in 1972. During [[The Emergency (India)|the Emergency]], he protested against [[Prime Minister of India|prime minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]]. He was subsequently detained for over a year under the [[Maintenance of Internal Security Act]]. In 1978, he became ''Pracharak'' of the ABVP. He pursued his undergraduate education from the [[National College, Bengaluru]] and his postgraduate education from the [[University of Mysore]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Yadav |first=Shyamlal |date=20 March 2021 |title=Explained: Who is Dattatreya Hosabale, the new RSS sarkaryawah? |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-who-is-dattatreya-hosabale-the-new-rss-sarkaryawah-7237234/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320104811/https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-who-is-dattatreya-hosabale-the-new-rss-sarkaryawah-7237234/ |archive-date=20 March 2021 |website=[[The Indian Express]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Pandey |first=Neelam |date=18 March 2024 |title=Ex-editor, jailed during Emergency — who is RSS No. 2 Dattatreya Hosabale, re-elected gen secy |url=https://theprint.in/politics/ex-editor-jailed-during-emergency-who-is-rss-no-2-dattatreya-hosabale-re-elected-gen-secy/2005389/ |website=[[ThePrint]]}}</ref>

== Rise within the Sangh ==
In 1992, Hosabale was made the ''Sangathan Mantri'' (General Secretary) of the ABVP.<ref name=":2" /> In 2009, Hosabale was made one of the four ''Sah-Sarkaryavahs'' (Joint General Secretary) of the RSS, under the leadership of ''[[Sarkaryavah]]'' (General Secretary) [[Suresh Joshi (RSS)|Suresh Joshi]], as the latter had succeeded [[Mohan Bhagwat]] in the post.<ref name=":1" />

Hosabale became the ''Sarkaryavah'' of the RSS on 20 March 2021, largely due to his close relations with prime minister [[Narendra Modi]] and [[Minister of Home Affairs (India)|home minister]] [[Amit Shah]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> A major reason for his elevation was because of his willingness to use the RSS machinery for electoral purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=K. Jha |first=Dhirendra |date=26 April 2021 |title=Heads of the Family: Dattatreya Hosabale’s elevation as the RSS’s executive head is a triumph for Modi |url=https://caravanmagazine.in/politics/dattatreya-hosabale-elevation-rss-executive-head-modi-triumph |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250702075257/https://caravanmagazine.in/politics/dattatreya-hosabale-elevation-rss-executive-head-modi-triumph |archive-date=2 July 2025 |website=[[The Caravan]]}}</ref> He was re-elected to the post in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/electoral-bonds-scheme-is-an-experiment-concept-of-minority-needs-reconsideration-rss/article67962096.ece |title=Electoral bonds scheme is an ‘experiment’, concept of minority needs reconsideration: RSS |first=Ishita |last=Mishra |date=18 March 2024 |website=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>

== Ideology and views ==
Hosabale has claimed that [[Religious conversion|religious conversions]] and immigration by "infiltrators from Bangladesh and other countries" are reducing the population of Hindus and causing an "imbalance." He has called for strict [[Anti-conversion law|anti-conversion laws]] and [[population control]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 October 2022 |title=Infiltrators from neighbouring countries, religious conversion causing population imbalance: RSS |url=https://scroll.in/latest/1035465/infiltrators-from-neighbouring-countries-religious-conversion-causing-population-imbalance-rss |website=[[Scroll.in]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mishra |first=Abhishek |date=20 October 2022 |title=Outrage as RSS leader says population balance disturbed by one community |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/outrage-as-rss-leader-dattatreya-hosabale-says-population-balance-disturbed-by-one-community-2287825-2022-10-20 |website=[[India Today]]}}</ref>

Shortly after he became the ''Sarkaryavah'' of the RSS, Hosabale expressed his belief in [[Love jihad conspiracy theory|love jihad]], an [[Islamophobic trope|Islamophobic conspiracy theory]] which purports that Muslim men target Hindu women, through means such as seduction, deception, kidnapping, and marriage, in an attempt to convert them to Islam, as part of a "demographic war" and an international conspiracy. Hosabale supported the enactment on laws against love jihad, stating, "The use of fraudulent methods to lure girls into marriage and conversion is condemnable and must be opposed. Suitable laws and regulations have to be brought and RSS will support such laws."<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 March 2021 |title=New RSS general secretary backs law on 'love jihad' |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/new-rss-general-secretary-backs-law-on-love-jihad/article34121901.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321071356/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/new-rss-general-secretary-backs-law-on-love-jihad/article34121901.ece |archive-date=21 March 2021 |website=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Joshi |first=Bharath |title=RSS will support laws against Love Jihad: Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/rss-will-support-laws-against-love-jihad-sarkaryavah-dattatreya-hosabale-964357.html |website=[[Deccan Herald]]}}</ref>

In June 2025, Hosabale advocated for the removal of the words "socialist" and "secular" from the [[Preamble to the Constitution of India|preamble]] of the [[Constitution of India|Indian Constitution]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale questions 'socialist', 'secular' in Preamble: Why the words were inserted in 1976 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/rss-dattatreya-hosabale-socialist-secular-constitution-emergency-preamble-10092116/}}</ref>

==References==
<references />

== External links ==

* {{Twitter|id=dattahosabale}}
{{Sangh Parivar}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hosabale, Dattatreya}}
[[Category:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharaks]]
[[Category:Sarkaryavahs]]
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Shimoga]]

Dattatreya Hosabale - Revision history

Svetlqer at 05:22, 16 February 2026