RSS Cannot Exercise Enormous Influence and Owe No Public Accountability: Kharge
He said his letter to Bhagwat was dispatched and made public on June 15, while the video being circulated on social media was from June 13/14.
Kalaburagi: Refusing to back down amid criticism from BJP leaders, Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday renewed his demand for legal clarity and public accountability from the RSS, asserting that an organisation with vast social and political influence could not remain beyond scrutiny.
In a post on X, Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge rejected claims that a recent video of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was a response to his letter seeking legal clarification from the organisation.
He said his letter to Bhagwat was dispatched and made public on June 15, while the video being circulated on social media was from June 13/14.
“Let me set the record straight. The RSS has every right to be a cultural organization. That is their choice. But it cannot simultaneously exercise enormous social and political influence while repeatedly insisting that it has no political agenda and therefore owes no public accountability,” he stated.
Referring to the BJP's acknowledgement of the RSS as its ideological parent, Kharge said the organisation's influence on public life was undeniable. He also claimed that the RSS operated through a large network of affiliated organisations and received donations from both domestic and overseas sources.
“The RSS chief enjoys Advanced Security Liaison protocol and other people of RSS have protocols funded by the taxpayer and the public is entitled to know whether the organisation complies with the same legal standards expected of everyone else.
Formal recognition under law would settle this contradiction once and for all,” he posted.
The Minister dismissed arguments that the RSS did not require registration because it represented a religion, saying no religion was required to register and that the RSS itself had existed only for a century.
"I have no objection to the RSS carrying out cultural, social, political or any other lawful activity. The only expectation is that it functions transparently and within the framework of the law, like every other organised body in this country. It is pursuant to this principle that a formal response has been requested in writing," Kharge said.
He also took exception to what he described as Bhagwat's assertion that the RSS was under no obligation to answer questions.
“Bhagwat's immediate assertion that the RSS is under no obligation to answer any questions is the most troubling (while he enjoys every protocol on tax payers money). It reflects a mindset that public accountability is optional and that the organisation stands above legal scrutiny. In a constitutional democracy, no institution, however old or influential, enjoys that privilege,” the Home Minister added.
“Shun the arrogance, follow the law and have your “office bearers” or “legal heads” come and explain to me,” Kharge added and concluded his message with “Jai Samvidhan. Jai Hindu.”
In another post Kharge posted “RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat claims that, unlike the Army, the RSS can prepare a force and raise an army within three days to fight at the border. If an “NGO” claims it can mobilise an army faster than the armed forces of India, shouldn’t a State Government have the right to know its legal status, structure, training, funding, command chain and accountability? This is not just a statement. It raises serious questions of national security, public order and constitutional accountability,” he stated.
