Karnataka ministers Priyank Kharge and Yathindra Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, June 16, upped the ante against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), justifying their demand that the RSS be transparent about its legal status, assets and finances. This has prompted a defence of the RSS from BJP leaders in Karnataka and elsewhere, and also from former journalist S Gurumurthy, who has been closely linked to the RSS.
Although this is not the first time that Priyank Kharge has questioned the RSS’ lack of registration, the recent controversy began after Priyank Kharge released a letter he wrote to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking clarity on the organisation's registration status, finances and accountability mechanisms. The minister later defended the move, saying demands for transparency and constitutional compliance could not be treated as unreasonable.
"Is it wrong to ask for transparency? Is it wrong to ask organisations to function under the Constitution?" Priyank told reporters at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi.
He said his concerns were based on publicly available information about the RSS and pointed to the scale of its activities across the country. Priyank noted that the organisation runs thousands of shakhas and conducts large-scale route marches involving lakhs of participants.
"The RSS has around 4,120 shakhas and has conducted nearly 5,000 route marches. When lakhs of people are mobilised for such programmes, shouldn't there be transparency about how these gatherings are organised?" he asked.
Backing Priyank's position, Karnataka Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah said no organisation could claim exemption from laws governing registration and financial accountability.
"Why should the RSS not be registered? There cannot be one law for everyone and another for the RSS. How can any organisation be exempt from disclosure and accountability regarding its financial transactions?" Yathindra said.
Questioning the RSS's description of itself as a purely cultural organisation, he alleged that it played a direct political role and worked for the BJP during elections. He also sought greater transparency regarding the organisation's assets and funding sources.
"The RSS has a large number of workers who need to be maintained. It owns properties worth crores of rupees in cities and towns across the country. Where did these properties come from? The public has a right to know," he said.
Yathindra argued that the RSS could not be equated with either Hinduism or the Indian nation and should instead be treated as a legal entity subject to the same regulations as any other organisation.
"Can an organisation be equated with a religion? Certainly not. The RSS is an organisation, and it cannot be equated with the nation or the country. It is a separate entity and must comply with the laws of the land," he said.
He also criticised attempts to invoke Hindutva or Hindu religious identity to avoid legal requirements.
"They cannot take shelter under Hindutva or the Hindu religion to avoid legal requirements. If such exemptions are granted to the RSS, what happens when other religious organisations seek similar privileges?" he asked.
Former Karnataka minister HK Patil, also said organisations collecting public money had a moral and constitutional responsibility to register themselves. Patil also accused Bhagwat of undermining Hinduism by comparing the RSS with a religion and demanded an apology.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera launched a sharp attack on Bhagwat's remarks that the RSS need not be registered because Hinduism itself is not registered.
"Yesterday I saw a video in which Mohan Bhagwat, who considers himself the chief of an organisation called RSS, said something. The RSS describes itself as a cultural organisation, but it is involved in all kinds of political and underground activities. The chief said that the RSS is not registered because Hinduism itself is not registered," Khera said.
Calling the comparison "absurd", Khera questioned how Hinduism could be equated with the RSS. He argued that the organisation did not maintain a membership register, account books or legal accountability mechanisms.
"Even a small shopkeeper has to register for GST. Can he tomorrow say, 'Hinduism is not registered, so I will not register my shop'?" Khera asked.
Earlier on June 15, Priyank had also issued a detailed clarification on social media, rejecting claims that a video of Bhagwat circulating online was a response to his letter. He said the letter had been dispatched and made public on June 15, while Bhagwat's remarks were made on June 13 or 14.
Priyank argued that while the RSS was free to function as a cultural organisation, it could not simultaneously wield significant social and political influence while claiming it had no obligation of public accountability. He claimed the RSS operated through more than 2,500 affiliated organisations in India and abroad and benefited from taxpayer-funded security arrangements.
"The public is entitled to know whether the organisation complies with the same legal standards expected of everyone else," Priyank said, adding that "formal recognition under law would settle this contradiction once and for all".
He described the argument that the RSS need not register because religions are not registered as "flawed and absurd". He further said that no institution, regardless of age or influence, stood above scrutiny in a constitutional democracy.
The BJP, however, strongly rejected the Congress leaders' arguments.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka accused Priyank and the Congress of lacking the moral authority to question the RSS. He alleged that the party had aligned itself with divisive forces and organisations such as the Indian Union Muslim League for electoral gains.
"The RSS has dedicated itself to the service of Mother India for nearly 100 years without seeking anything in return. Questioning its legality and patriotism is not only laughable but also shameful," Ashoka said.
He further alleged that Priyank was targeting the RSS to attract the attention of the Congress leadership and strengthen his position within the party, while diverting attention from governance issues.
Karnataka Legislative Council Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy also criticised Priyank and questioned why he had not sought the dissolution of the Congress party if he was genuinely concerned about legality and accountability.
Referring to Mahatma Gandhi's post-Independence suggestion that Congress be dissolved and transformed into a public service organisation called Lok Sevak Sangh, Narayanaswamy asked why Priyank had not raised the issue with his father, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
"Your father is the AICC President. Why have you not written a letter seeking the dissolution of the Congress party in line with Mahatma Gandhi's wishes?" he asked.
Narayanaswamy also accused the minister of ignoring issues affecting Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, including the implementation of SCSP and TSP funds, reservation concerns and crimes against Dalits.
Adding to the defence of the RSS, senior commentator S Gurumurthy said Priyank's demand was legally flawed and ignored the organisation's historical and legal status.
Gurumurthy said that when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru lifted the ban on the RSS, the organisation was required to submit a written constitution, which remains part of government records. He argued that neither Nehru nor subsequent prime ministers had required the RSS to register under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
He said the RSS constitution itself served as legal evidence of the organisation's existence and purpose, and claimed that RSS shakhas had long been recognised under income tax law as financially independent units.
Gurumurthy also referred to court rulings that upheld the non-taxable status of guru dakshina contributions made by swayamsevaks under the principle of mutuality. He accused Priyank of lacking understanding of evidence and income tax law and described the minister's questions as a repetition of arguments raised years earlier by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.
Claiming that no organisation had faced as much scrutiny as the RSS, Gurumurthy said its financial integrity had been acknowledged even by ideological opponents. He cited dairy cooperative leader Verghese Kurien as an example and urged RSS leaders not to spend time responding to what he called publicity-driven attacks.
The exchange follows Bhagwat's recent remarks that the RSS works openly and has repeatedly faced political attacks throughout its history. Defending the organisation's status, Bhagwat said governments had recognised the RSS by imposing and later lifting bans on it, and dismissed the latest criticism as political posturing.
With IANS inputs
