No one above scrutiny: Priyank Kharge seeks RSS funding, legal status details

Published 15 June 2026 · india

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday wrote to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, asking the organisation to clarify its legal status, registration, sources of funding

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday wrote to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, asking the organisation to clarify its legal status, registration, sources of funding and expenditure, among other details. In a two-page letter to Bhagwat, Kharge pointed out that the RSS has a significant presence in Karnataka, with over 60,000 shakhas and affiliated activities across the state, and argued that such a large organisation cannot remain outside legal oversight. Read Full Story “In a constitutional democracy, no organisation, however old, large or influential, can remain above scrutiny. Every citizen, association, institution and body that operates in public life is expected to comply with the law,” Kharge said in his letter. Bhagwat, however, hit back at the Karnataka government's demand, saying the RSS does not require registration as it does not receive government funding. He noted that the organisation has been functioning in India for 100 years and that no authority had previously insisted on its registration. Describing the demand as politically motivated, Bhagwat accused the state government of attempting to create confusion among the public. CLARIFY LEGAL STATUS, FUNDING: PIRYANK KHARGE Citing RSS records, Kharge said the organisation has an extensive footprint in Karnataka, with 4,127 daily shakhas, 1,389 weekly milans and 60 monthly mandalis.

It has also organised 2,194 conventions and more than 500 route marches across the state. “Such an extensive organisational presence, especially when it involves regular public mobilisation, uniformed route marches and large-scale social outreach, cannot be treated as a private or informal arrangement. It raises legitimate questions about legal status, accountability, financial transparency, public order, permissions, sources of funding and compliance with the Constitution and laws of India,” the minister argued. Kharge sought public disclosure of the RSS's legal status and organisational structure, details of its office-bearers and authorised representatives, sources of donations and other income, and information regarding its expenditure and assets. The Home Minister also sought clarification on whether the RSS pays applicable taxes in accordance with the law and the legal basis on which it conducts its activities without formal registration. Additionally, the letter asked the RSS to explain the constitutional and statutory framework under which it claims the right to operate on such a large scale without public accountability and to provide details of permissions obtained for its public activities. Dear Shri Mohan Bhagwat ji, My letter will reach you shortly.