New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday dismissed Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge’s demand that the organisation register itself and disclose its finances, saying the RSS functions openly and that registration is only required for entities seeking government funds.
Responding to Kharge’s open letter, Bhagwat said he did not intend to engage in the political debate. “It is just politics… all these gimmicks are being made by those who are used to it. We have faced all this before and are used to it,” he said.
Addressing the demand for registration, Bhagwat argued that many institutions and traditions operate without formal registration. “The Hindu religion is not registered, many things are not registered. Registration is needed only by those who want to have funds from the government,” he said.
The RSS chief maintained that the organisation has always functioned transparently and that the government has long recognised its existence. Recalling the organisation’s history, he said the RSS was founded during British rule and had survived two government bans.
“The government banned us twice, which means it knew the RSS existed. Our written constitution has been with the government since the 1950s. In over 100 years, nobody has told us that we must register,” Bhagwat said.
The remarks come after Priyank Kharge, in an open letter marking the RSS’s centenary year, questioned why the organisation remained outside the registration and disclosure framework applicable to NGOs, trusts, companies and religious institutions.
Kharge argued that an organisation claiming over 60,000 shakhas and millions of swayamsevaks should uphold transparency and constitutional accountability. He called on the RSS to disclose details related to its legal status, office bearers, funding, expenditure, taxation and permissions for public activities.
