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'Hindu Dharma not registered': RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Priyank Kharge's open letter
Priyank Kharge urged the RSS to use its centenary for constitutional reflection, advocating for registration and transparency in its operations.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has brushed aside Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge's letter seeking clarification on the organisational status of the RSS, saying the issue is political and not something that requires a response.
“I don't need to respond. There are so many unregistered things going on, and we are not secretive. We are working in the open. We are calling people and telling them about the Sangh. This is politics, and all these gimmicks are being tried. We are used to it. After 10–15 years of the Sangh's existence, we had to face all these things. We are used to it…,”reacting to Kharge's remarks, Bhagwat told news agency ANI.
Also read | Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge urges RSS to register, disclose finances on its centenary
The remarks came after Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday asked the RSS to register itself, clarify its legal status, and disclose its sources of funding, income, expenditure and assets, arguing that it must uphold transparency and constitutional accountability.
'Hindu Dharma is not registered'
Bhagwat further argued that several institutions and traditions exist without formal registration.
He said, “Hindu Dharma is not registered. Many things are not registered...The government banned us twice, and those bans were lifted once by court order and again through Satyagraha. So the government knows the RSS exists. If they banned the RSS, it means they recognised its existence...”
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He added, "All this is politics, nothing serious. They want, on one hand, to hamper the Sangh's work and, on the other, create doubts in the minds of people. But that is no longer possible because people know us."
RSS chief rejects claim that organisation is secretive
Bhagwat also rejected allegations that the RSS functions in secrecy, saying its activities are conducted publicly and are visible to society.
He said, "They say we are secretive. Our karyakartas live in all localities. People see them every day. Our shakhas are held in open grounds. People see them daily. We have public programmes..."
Priyank Kharge's open letter
The remarks came after Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge wrote to Mohan Bhagwat as the RSS marked 100 years of its existence, seeking clarification regarding its organisational status.
Posting his letter to Bhagwat on social media platform X, Priyank Kharge said that an organisation claiming to have more than 60,000 shakhas and crores of swayamsevaks across India and abroad should uphold transparency, accountability and constitutional compliance.
Urging the RSS to treat its centenary as an opportunity for constitutional reflection rather than just a milestone celebration, Priyank Kharge said, "The best tribute it can pay to India in its 100th year is to register itself, disclose its activities and finances, pay all applicable taxes, and function as a transparent and accountable organisation within the framework of Indian law."
Kharge, the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, also referred to the 2025–26 Karnataka report of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the RSS's highest decision-making body. Citing the report, he noted that the organisation operates 4,127 daily shakhas, 1,389 weekly milans and 60 monthly mandalis across Karnataka.
