Bengaluru, June 15: Karnataka’s Home Minister Priyank Kharge has penned an open letter to Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), congratulating the organization on its centenary. However, he has also raised serious questions regarding the RSS’s legal status, financial transparency, and constitutional accountability.
In his letter, Kharge pointed out that the RSS claims to have over 60,000 branches and millions of volunteers across the country. Given this vast network, he emphasized the need for the organization to adhere to the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and constitutional compliance.
Referencing the All India Representative Assembly (ABPS) report for 2025-26, Kharge noted that in Karnataka alone, the RSS operates 4,127 daily branches, 1,389 weekly meetings, and 60 monthly committees. Additionally, he mentioned that around 1.96 million people participated in 2,194 community festivals, and over 221,000 uniformed volunteers took part in 562 processions.
Kharge stated that an organization with such extensive activities cannot be considered a private or informal entity. He questioned the legal status, financial sources, public accountability, and constitutional compliance of an organization that conducts large-scale public events and outreach activities.
He urged the RSS to send its authorized officials for discussions, asking on what legal basis the organization operates without formal registration or as a “Body of Individuals.”
In his letter, Kharge asserted that in a democratic system, no organization, regardless of its age, size, or influence, is above the law. He pointed out that all entities, from sanitation workers to religious institutions, trusts, NGOs, and companies, are required to register, undergo audits, and publicly disclose financial information. Therefore, the RSS should also adhere to similar standards.
Kharge has demanded the RSS disclose eight key pieces of information, including its legal status, organizational structure, details of officials, sources of donations and income, asset and expenditure reports, tax payment status, the legal basis for operating without registration, and compliance arrangements for public events and processions.
He concluded by stating that an organization that speaks of nationalism, discipline, and duty should uphold these values through transparency and constitutional accountability. Kharge appealed to the RSS to register its organization, disclose its financial activities, and operate with full transparency in accordance with the law during its centenary year.
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