Priyank Karg urged the RSS to use its centenary for constitutional reflection, and call for registration and transparency in its operations.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) president Mohan Bhagwat ignored Karnataka Minister Priyank Karg’s letter seeking clarification on the regulatory status of the RSS, saying the issue is political and not something that requires a response.
“You don’t need to respond. There are a lot of unrecorded things happening, and we are not secret. We work in the open. We call people and tell them about the Sangh. This is politics, all these tricks are being tried. We are used to it. After 10-15 years of the Sangh’s existence, we have had to face all these things. We are used to it…”, responding to Karg’s statements, Bhagwat said. He told news agency ANI.
Read also | Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge urges RSS to register and disclose finances on its centenary
The remarks came after Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Karg 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 should uphold transparency and constitutional accountability.
“Hindu Dharma is not recorded”
Bhagwat also claimed that many institutions and traditions exist without formal registration.
He said: “Hindu Dharma is not registered. Many things are not registered… The government has banned us twice, and this ban was lifted once by a court order and again by Satyagraha. So the government knows about the existence of the RSS. If it bans the RSS, it means it has acknowledged its existence…” He said.
Read also | ‘We are not like Hitler’: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says doors for dialogue with Pakistan must remain open
“This is all politics, nothing serious. They want, on the one hand, to obstruct the work of the Sangh, and on the other hand, to raise doubts in people’s minds. But this is no longer possible because people know us,” he added.
RSS chief rejects claim that the organization is secret
Bhagwat also rejected allegations that the RSS is working underground, saying its activities are conducted openly and are visible to the society.
Read also | BJP slams Kerala CM over his criticism of VC who shared stage with Mohan Bhagwat: ‘He should not talk about secularism’
“They say we are secret,” he said. “Our karyakarta lives in all the localities. People watch it every day. Our shakhas are held in open spaces. People watch them every day. We have public programmes…” he said.
Priyank Karg’s open letter
The remarks came after Karnataka Minister Priyank Karg wrote to Mohan Bhagwat on the occasion of RSS’s celebration of its 100th anniversary, seeking clarification on its organizational status.
Posting his letter to Bhagwat on social media platform
Urging the RSS to treat its centenary as an opportunity for constitutional reflection rather than just an important celebration, Priyank Karg 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 operate as a transparent and accountable organization within the framework of Indian law.”
Karg, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Karg, also referred to the Karnataka Report 2025-26 issued by the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the RSS. Quoting the report, he noted that the organization runs 4,127 daily shakhas, 1,389 weekly mandals and 60 monthly mandals across Karnataka.
