Karnataka Minister Demands RSS Transparency

Priyank Kharge, the Home Minister of India — Karnataka, has written an open letter to Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), demanding transparency regarding the RSS's legal status, registration, finances, and organizational structure. Kharge emphasized that an organization of the RSS's size and influence, especially as it approaches its centenary, should be subject to the same constitutional accountability and disclosure requirements as other entities like companies, NGOs, and trusts. He cited figures from the RSS's own report on its extensive activities in India — Karnataka, including numerous daily shakhas, weekly milans, and public gatherings. Mohan Bhagwat has dismissed Kharge's letter as a 'political gimmick,' asserting that the RSS operates openly and does not require government assistance, thus not needing formal registration. The India — Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and MP Tejasvi Surya have criticized Kharge, defending the RSS and accusing the India — Indian National Congress of political opportunism.