Yathindra Siddaramaiah calls RSS thousand-headed poisonous snake

Karnataka minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah on Monday called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh a "thousand-headed poisonous snake" filled with the poison of casteism, communalism and Manuvad, Siasat.com reports. He demanded that the RSS, BJP and Sri Rama Sene publicly apologise to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over an alleged "purification" ritual at Haldwani after Kharge addressed a meeting there.

Home minister Priyank Kharge questioned the legal framework of the RSS, asking under which law it operates and who owns its properties and bank accounts. "Existence is not the issue. Accountability is," he posted on X, responding to BJP general secretary B.L. Santhosh's defence of the organisation. Priyank argued that large national organisations must maintain greater transparency.

The remarks are expected to sharpen the political clash between Congress and BJP over the RSS, constitutional accountability and the Haldwani incident. Congress workers have been urged to continue protests until the three groups issue a public apology to Kharge.