Priyank Kharge asks under what law RSS exists

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has questioned the legal status and accountability of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), asking under which law the organisation functions. His remarks on Sunday came in response to BJP general secretary B L Santosh, who said the RSS did not require formal registration because it had existed on the trust of millions.

Kharge said on X that nobody doubts the RSS exists, but the issue is its legal identity. He asked who legally constitutes the RSS, who owns its assets, and in whose name its bank accounts are operated. He also demanded to see its audited accounts and statutory disclosures.

Santosh had spoken at an 'Akhand Bharat Sankalp Day' event organised by the Hindu Jagarana Vedike. Kharge argued that greater public influence should bring greater transparency. 'History cannot be a substitute for legal transparency,' he said.