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Ban all RSS activities in public places: Min to CM
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge seeks a ban on RSS activities in public spaces, claiming they undermine constitutional values and promote divisiveness.
Minister of rural development and panchayat raj, Priyank Kharge has written to chief minister Siddaramaiah seeking a statewide ban on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities in government institutions and public spaces, arguing that the organisation’s ideology contradicts the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
In his letter, written on October 4 and made pubic by the chief minister’s office (CMO) on Sunday, Kharge alleged that the RSS has been conducting shakhas and gatherings in government and aided schools, as well as on public grounds, where “slogans are shouted and negative ideas are instilled in the minds of children and youth.”
Kharge said the RSS’s belief system “was contrary to India’s ideals of unity and secular framework.” He wrote, “When divisive forces that sow hatred among the people raise their heads, our Constitution, founded on the core principles of integrity, equality, and unity, grants us the authority to curb such elements and uphold the secular values of the nation.”
He also alleged that the organisation was conducting aggressive drills without police permission and that such displays “could have a harmful psychological impact on children and young people.”
Calling for government intervention, Kharge urged the chief minister to prohibit all RSS activities, including shakhas, sanghiks, and baithaks, across government-controlled spaces such as schools, public parks, temples under the Muzrai Department, as well as at archaeological sites.
“The Constitution empowers both citizens and the State to act against forces that spread division,” he wrote, asserting that banning such activities was necessary to protect the secular and democratic framework of the country.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Kharge said, “I have requested the chief minister that RSS activities should not be allowed in government schools and colleges... RSS’s activities brainwash young minds, which is not helping the nation or society. I’ve written to the CM to not allow RSS activities or their ‘Baithaks’, even in archaeological temples or state-owned temples. Let them do it in private homes... We have no problem with that but you can’t use government grounds for their mass brainwashing.”
He went on to question the commitment of BJP leaders to the RSS ideology, asking, “If this philosophy were so good, why aren’t the BJP leaders’ children involved in it? How many BJP leaders’ children have taken Trishul Diksha? How many BJP leaders’ children are Gaurakshaks and Dharam Rakshaks?” Kharge added that the RSS’s philosophy was “against the Constitution,” alleging that it was an organisation that “refused the Constitution and wants Manusmriti as the Constitution.”
The remarks triggered a sharp reaction from the opposition BJP.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka dismissed Kharge’s proposal as unrealistic.
“Even with a commanding majority of 352 seats, Indira Gandhi couldn’t ban the RSS and its activities. And even with an unprecedented 414 seats, Rajiv Gandhi couldn’t do it either,” Ashok said in a social media post. “So, what exactly can an outgoing chief minister like Siddaramaiah do now? Banning the RSS or its activities is not just impossible. It’s a fantasy.”
Ashoka also pointed out that deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, who also heads the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, “proudly sang the RSS song inside the sacred halls of Vidhana Soudha.”
“Before talking about banning the RSS, why not first write to your father, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and demand that D K Shivakumar be expelled from the party for that act?” Ashok asked.
He accused the Congress government of trying to divert attention from governance failures. “Instead of writing meaningless letters to divert attention from your failures and misgovernance, why not focus on your duties? Start by delivering real relief to the farmers of Kalyana Karnataka who are struggling after the recent floods,” he said.
