Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday asked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to register itself and clear its legal position before the society. The minister has asked the Sangh to disclose its source of income, total income, expenses and assets. He said that such a big organization should be accountable to the law and constitution of the country and maintain transparency in its work.
On the occasion of completion of 100 years of RSS, Priyank Kharge has written a letter to Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat. In the letter he has raised many questions regarding the organization’s registration, financial sources and legal status. He has also shared this letter on his social media handle X.
Priyank Kharge said that RSS claims that it has more than 60 thousand shakhas in the country and abroad and crores of volunteers are associated with it. In such a situation, the organization should clearly explain under which legal system it is working. In his letter, he wrote that RSS should not limit its 100th year to just celebrations but should introspect on this occasion and also increase its accountability. Kharge appealed to the organization to register itself and make the information to its activities public.
Priyank Kharge has asked RSS to make public the details of its financial sources, donations, contributions, income-expenditure and assets. He asked why the RSS should be exempted when non-governmental organizations (NGOs), trusts, companies and other institutions are bound by law to register and provide information. In the letter, he has also demanded to make public the information about the officials, authorized representatives and administrative structure of the organization.
Priyank Kharge said that according to the RSS’s Karnataka report of 2025-26, 4,127 daily shakhas, 1,389 weekly milans and 60 monthly congregations are operating in the state. He said that according to the report, RSS organized 2,194 social programs in Karnataka, in which about 19.61 lakh people participated. Apart from this, about 2.21 lakh people participated in 562 path movements. Kharge says that an organization with such wide-ranging activities cannot be considered a private or informal group. Therefore, his financial and legal accountability should also be clear.
Priyank Kharge also asked in his letter on what legal basis the activities of RSS are being conducted without formal registration. He also wanted to know whether the organization was paying all applicable taxes or not. He has requested RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to give formal answers on these questions. At present, the discussion regarding this letter has intensified in political circles.
