Karnataka minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge on Monday sharply criticised the Hindu right-wing organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying, “All NGOs operating in this country are registered, file their income tax returns every year, and report their income and donations to the government. If the RSS claims to be an NGO, why does it not follow the same process?”
Kharge further questioned the privileges extended to the organisation’s leadership, asking, “Why has the head of an NGO been granted top-level security under the liaison protocol? What makes it necessary to spend public taxpayers’ money on providing such security to a person who has not paid even a single rupee in taxes? When they already have sticks and battalions at their disposal, what additional protection do they need?”
Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS chief, has been provided with the highest category of security, initially as Z+, which was later upgraded to the even more comprehensive Advanced Security Liaison (ASL) protocol in August 2024.
This security is provided by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and includes approximately 60 commandos, bullet-proof vehicles, and extensive coordination with local authorities, based on a recent risk assessment. The ASL upgrade aligns his security level with that of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Taking a dig at the RSS’s sensitivity to criticism, he remarked, “Why do they behave as if they’ve been stung by a scorpion whenever someone demands accountability from the RSS?”
Kharge said that despite its influence, “the majority of people in this country neither support nor accept the RSS. They are not above the nation, the Constitution, or the law.”
This comes after he questioned the organisation’s functioning and finances on Sunday, alleging that it operates without registration or public scrutiny.
“The RSS has officially stated in writing that it is not a registered entity. If it truly serves the nation selflessly, why not register like the lakhs of NGOs that work transparently and lawfully?” he said.
Raising further questions, he asked, “Where do their donations come from and who are the donors? Who pays the full-time pracharaks and funds the organisation’s daily operations and so-called social campaigns?”
“If the RSS is unregistered and unaccountable, isn’t it evading scrutiny and taxes while claiming to serve the nation? How does this make them Desh Bhakts?” Kharge highlighted.
Earlier, Priyank Kharge and his family received death threats and abusive calls after he demanded a ban on RSS activities in government properties, which he described as “a small example of the kind of filth the RSS is trying to fill in the minds of young people.”
Founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was established with the stated aim of promoting Hindu nationalism and has faced long-standing criticism for its alleged role in communal tensions and violence.
The RSS has a history of being banned multiple times by the Indian government, including after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, during the Emergency (1975–1977), and following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. These bans were often due to perceived threats to national integrity and communal harmony.
Earlier this week, Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) should be banned, invoking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 1948 letter that blamed the organisation for creating the atmosphere that led to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, asserting that if the Prime Minister truly respects Patel’s views, he should act on them.
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