Priyank Kharge Targets RSS Finances
Karnataka minister alleges financial opacity, demands legal scrutiny of organisation
- Priyank Kharge accuses RSS of financial irregularities
- Claims funds collected through donations lack transparency
- Demands RSS be brought under constitutional and legal framework
- Remarks come amid ongoing political tussle in Karnataka
GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 16th Feb: Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of financial opacity and demanded that the organisation be brought under constitutional and legal scrutiny.
Kharge alleged that the RSS collects funds through donations, referred to as ‘guru dakshina’, without sufficient transparency about the sources or the final use of the money. He claimed the organisation was involved in financial irregularities, though he did not present specific evidence.
Addressing a private event in Bengaluru, Kharge said the RSS asks citizens to comply with tax obligations while allegedly remaining outside the tax framework itself. He also claimed that around 2,500 organisations are associated with the RSS and that funds are being collected from several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
He questioned the origin of these contributions and asked why the organisation was not subject to the same financial accountability as others. Kharge said he would continue to press for the RSS to be brought under the constitutional framework.
The remarks came in response to statements by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who had described the organisation as a “body of individuals” that does not require registration.
Kharge rejected that argument, stating that no organisation should be above the law. He cited examples of clubs and associations that function as bodies of individuals but are still registered and subject to taxation.
The exchange comes amid an ongoing political row between the RSS and the Congress government in Karnataka. Tensions escalated last year over issues related to RSS activities in public spaces and government premises.
The state government had issued an order requiring prior permission for private organisations to use government properties, a move challenged in court. The Karnataka High Court later put the order on hold.
