Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge has raised questions about the Union government spending public money on advertisements congratulating the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on its centenary.
In a post on X on Thursday, April 16, Kharge said, “Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project? Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is the government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?”
Kharge was citing data obtained under RTI by Ajay Basudev Bose, from Amaravati in Maharashtra.
The data was provided by Pappunnjay Kumar, Under Secretary to the Union Ministry of Culture.
On many occasions in the past year, Kharge has raised questions about the RSS’ lack of registration and its sources of funding.
In October last year, he wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking a ban on the RSS using government property to hold its events. Some days later, the Chief Minister’s office asked the department concerned to take appropriate action on his letter.
The state government then issued an order requiring organisations to seek permission for gatherings of more than 10 people in state-owned institutions or land.
However, Kharge’s letter sparked a vicious campaign against him in Chittapur, his Assembly constituency.
Kharge has also criticised the RSS’ source of funding. Recently, in February this year, Kharge said that the RSS was an unregistered organisation and that he would ensure that it was brought under the ambit of the Constitution.
“If not today, (tomorrow) they will have to register. I will ensure it. As long as we have the law and the Constitution, it will happen. Because we have left them unregistered for 100 years, should we leave them for another 100 years?” he said.
Kharge also questioned the RSS’s lack of financial transparency, alleging that it runs a network of over 2,500 affiliated organisations in India and abroad and collects funds from foreign countries in the name of “Guru Dakshina”.
“Money is being collected from many countries. There is a huge money laundering racket behind the RSS,” he claimed. “If we ask about the source of RSS money, they say it is Guru Dakshina. According to them, Guru Dakshina means ‘flag’. Tomorrow, if I hoist a blue flag and start collecting money, will the government allow it?” he asked.