Priyank Kharge demands RSS disclose funding, tax records

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday stepped up his criticism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), asking the organisation to publicly disclose details of its registration status, income sources, assets and tax records.

Addressing a press conference at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, Kharge questioned the RSS’s claim that it does not require formal registration and argued that organisations with large-scale activities should maintain transparency about their legal and financial details.

He said the RSS should make its registration documents, funding sources and tax-related information available to the public instead of making informal claims about its status, Siasat Daily reported.

Kharge pointed out that the organisation had claimed to have mobilised around 20 lakh people in Karnataka through various programmes and argued that seeking information about its financial and administrative records was reasonable given its scale of operations.

Drawing a parallel with earlier political debates over documentation requirements for citizens, Kharge alleged that RSS and BJP leaders had demanded documents from people in the past but were reluctant to provide similar information when questions were raised about the organisation.

He accused BJP leaders of targeting him politically after he raised questions about the RSS’s legal and financial transparency, insisting that his demand was only for accountability. He also questioned the security arrangements provided to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

Responding to allegations that he was attacking Hinduism, Kharge clarified that his criticism was aimed at the RSS as an organisation and not at the religion. He said Hinduism did not need registration, but the RSS, being an organisation operating within the country, should function in accordance with legal requirements.