Congress-RSS face-off escalates over registration, accountability

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday renewed his demand for clarity on the legal and financial status of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat dismissed the move as politically motivated.

- BELLIE THOMAS/ANAND SINGH

Kharge had written an open letter to Bhagwat seeking details on the RSS's registration, finances, office-bearers, assets, expenditure, donations and tax compliance. He argued that an organisation with more than 60,000 shakhas and a vast volunteer network should be subject to the same standards of transparency and accountability as trusts, societies, NGOs and other public-facing bodies.

Speaking to the media in Delhi, Kharge said he had raised seven specific questions in his letter and that the RSS must respond formally.

“I wrote the letter on June 13, dispatched it and made it public on June 15. He has not responded to my letter,” Kharge said, referring to Bhagwat’s remarks in Kerala's Thrissur.

Bhagwat had brushed aside the demand, saying the RSS has functioned openly for decades and has nothing to hide. He said registration is not necessary for every organisation and argued that it is generally required only for entities seeking government funding.

“Hindu Dharma is not registered. Many things are not registered,” Bhagwat had said, adding that successive governments had long known about the RSS's existence. He also cited past government bans on the organisation as proof that it was officially recognised.