Karnataka Home Minister Criticizes BJP's Allegiance to RSS

Karnataka's Home Minister Priyank Kharge took a jab at the BJP on Thursday, asserting that the party operates solely at the behest of the RSS. Tensions have arisen between Kharge and the RSS regarding the adherence to constitutional and financial regulations. In a post on X, Kharge expressed that the BJP becomes anxious whenever the RSS is scrutinized, often resorting to a defensive stance. He raised several questions that consistently receive the same responses: according to Kharge, how can an organization that distanced itself from the freedom struggle now claim to be the custodian of patriotism? Additionally, why did it take nearly five decades for the national flag to be hoisted at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur? Kharge further questioned which constitution the RSS truly respects - the one authored by Babasaheb Ambedkar or the one they wish to draft themselves? He also accused the organization of refusing to register itself or pay taxes.

Kharge stated on X that when the RSS is challenged, the BJP hisses in response. He noted that the BJP loses its composure whenever questions are posed about the RSS. If one inquires why an organization that contributed nothing to the freedom struggle is now lecturing the nation on patriotism, the BJP reacts defensively. Questions about the 52-year delay in hoisting the tricolor in Nagpur elicit similar reactions. When asked which constitution they adhere to - the one by Babasaheb or their own version, the BJP hisses again. Queries regarding their refusal to register and pay taxes also provoke a defensive response. Kharge emphasized that the BJP has always been a tool for the RSS, not merely its ally.

This statement comes amid a controversy that began when Kharge wrote an open letter to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, seeking clarification on the organization's legal status, financial transparency, and constitutional accountability. He stated that an organization claiming over 60,000 branches and millions of volunteers in India and abroad should adhere to the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and compliance with constitutional norms. In the letter, he requested information regarding the RSS's legal status, organizational structure, officials, sources of donations and income, expenditures, assets, compliance with tax regulations, and the legal basis for operating without formal registration.

The RSS has largely dismissed this request; Mohan Bhagwat previously stated that he sees no need to respond to Kharge and has dismissed these inquiries as a "political tactic" that the organization has faced before.