Bengaluru: Karnataka’s new Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday said he received two death threats from the RSS after taking charge and asked the organisation to prepare registration documents ahead of any public activity.
Kharge, who was sworn in last week to replace G. Parameshwara as the state’s Home Minister, said he was not seeking to ban the RSS but wants transparency and accountability in its operations. He told reporters that any voluntary organisation that operates publicly must register with the government, disclose its headquarters and activities, and accept clear responsibilities if it functions across the state. Kharge also pointed out that the RSS accepts large donations from the public and is not automatically exempt from tax obligations.
The minister said the two death threats from the RSS came soon after he assumed office, and that his call for registration was prompted by those threats. He described the demand as a request to follow lawful procedures, not an attempt to suppress anyone, and stressed he would act within legal and constitutional limits.
The BJP criticised Kharge’s statements. The state party alleged that the home department had fallen into the hands of an “incompetent minister.” R. Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly and senior BJP leader, asked why a new registration requirement was suddenly being raised when the RSS has operated legally for decades. He argued that organisations complying with existing law need not face fresh registration demands prompted by a minister’s remarks, and accused the Congress of targeting the RSS for political ends.