Priyank Kharge writes to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat over legal and funding transparency

Priyank Kharge Writes To Mohan Bhagwat, Seeks Answers On RSS Registration, Funding & Accountability

Bengaluru: Taking his battle with Rashtriya SwayamSevak Sangh (RSS), Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has written a letter to RSS Sarasanchalak Mohan Bhagwat, seeking clarification on legal standing of the organisation.In his letter, Priyank Kharge has stated that, in Constitutional democracy, no organisation, however old, large and influential can remain  without scrutiny.... Every religious institution and religious trust is audited. Charitable bodies, NGOs, trusts, societies, companies and other institutions are required to disclose their structure, activities, finances and source of income. In this context, it is fair and necessary that the RSS also comes forward and place the following information in the public domain, Kharge said.On Camera: Pack Of Stray Dogs Mauls 4-Year-Old Girl In Bengaluru's Sahakara Nagar Listing the eight details, Kharge has asked the RSS to depute its authorised office bearer to explain the legal status and organisational structure, details of its office bearers and authorised representatives, sources of donations, contributions and income, details of expenditure and assets, whether applicable taxes are being paid in accordance with law, the legal basis on which organisation activities are conducted without formal registration, the constitutional and statutory framework under which it claims the right to operate at such scale without public accountability and the details of permissions, authorisations and compliance mechanisms for public events, route marches, mass gatherings and other organised activities.``An organisation that regularly evokes nationalism, discipline and duty must also demonstrate these values through transparency, compliance and respect for the Constitution of India. The RSS cannot ask ordinary Indians to follow rules while exempting itself from the same standards,'' Kharge added.Congress Demands Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s Resignation After Akal Takht Declares Him Guilty Of Religious Misconduct Reacting to the Kharge's letter in Thrissur, Kerala, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat said that he doesn't need to react to the letter, which is nothing but a political gimmick.``We are not running any secret activities and all our activities are taking place in public grounds. We call people and openly tell them about Sangh and our volunteers are living in the middle of people. We have been seeing such allegations for years and they are levelled to create some kind of doubts in the minds of the people,'' he said.``Registration is needed for the organisation which requires government assistance and not for us. RSS started during the British era and we have our own by-law. In 1950 itself, we submitted our by-law to the government. The government did not ask us to register ourselves first and come with the by-law later. There have been earlier attempts to ban us, but we got them lifted through judicial intervention,'' Bhagwat added.

14 hours ago

Priyank Kharge Writes To Mohan Bhagwat, Seeks Clarity On RSS Legal Status

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday wrote to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking clarification on the organisation’s legal status, registration, funding, taxation and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.Dear Shri Mohan Bhagwat ji,My letter will reach you shortly. However, I thought it was important to draw your attention to this matter early.——————————-Firstly, congratulations to the RSS on completing 100 years.An organisation that claims over 60,000 shakhas and crores of… pic.twitter.com/IZy4oeKdMp— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) June 15, 2026 Sharing a copy of the letter on X, Kharge congratulated the RSS on completing 100 years but argued that an organisation of its size and influence should be transparent and publicly accountable. He said the RSS, which claims to have more than 60,000 shakhas and crores of swayamsevaks across the country, should disclose details regarding its registration, office-bearers, finances, expenditure and permissions obtained for public activities.Referring to the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha’s 2025–26 Karnataka report, Kharge highlighted that the RSS operates 4,127 daily shakhas, 1,389 weekly milans and 60 monthly mandalis in the state. He also noted that the organisation conducted 2,194 Samajotsavas involving 19.61 lakh participants and organised 562 route marches attended by 2.21 lakh uniformed participants.RSS Accelerates Grassroots Mobilisation Ahead Of Elections In Uttar PradeshQuestioning whether such a large organisation should remain outside standard disclosure norms, Kharge said citizens, labour bodies, NGOs, trusts, temples and companies are all expected to register and comply with legal requirements. He argued that the RSS should similarly abide by the Constitution by registering itself, making disclosures and paying applicable taxes wherever required.In his social media post, Kharge tagged Mohan Bhagwat and the official RSS handle, stating that he looked forward to receiving a response to the issues raised in his letter.

18 hours ago