New Delhi: Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge has amped up the heat on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and asked it to clarify a central contradiction: an organisation that claims to have no political agenda while functioning as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ideological predecessor, cannot also shun public accountability.In a detailed post on X on Tuesday (June 16), Kharge flagged a widely circulating video of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, calling the demands for greater transparency ‘political gimmicks,’ as misleading. “I dispatched my letter and put it up on social media on June 15, while this interaction by the RSS Chief was on June 13/14,” he clarified, asking the public to not conflate the two.Kharge argued that the RSS could not simultaneously claim political neutrality and exercise the scale of influence that it did. “The BJP itself acknowledges the RSS as its ideological parent and their sway over public life is undeniable,” he wrote, adding that its accountability obligations were non-negotiable.He further highlighted that the RSS operated through an ecosystem of more than 2,500 affiliated domestic and overseas organisations, had a sprawling headquarters in Delhi and state capitals and that Bhagwat enjoyed Advanced Security Liaison protocols funded by taxpayers. “The public is entitled to know whether the organisation complies with the same legal standards expected of everyone else,” he said.The Congress leader also rebutted Bhagwat’s arguments comparing RSS to Hinduism, as a basis for avoiding registration, calling it “both flawed and absurd.” The organisation, he said, was only 100 years old and could not claim to represent a religion and no government had ever asked any religion to register in the first place. He noted that Bhagwat’s “immediate assertion that the RSS is under no obligation to answer any questions is the most troubling,” reflecting a belief that the organisation stood above legal scrutiny. Kharge rejected these claims as deflections. “In a constitutional democracy, no institution, however old or influential, enjoys that privilege,” he said, closing the statement with: “Shun the arrogance, follow the law.”A video of @DrMohanBhagwat ji is being widely circulated as a response to my letter is false.I dispatched my letter and put it up on social media on June 15, while this interaction by the RSS Chief was on June 13/14.Let me set the record straight.The RSS has every right to… pic.twitter.com/HLCvgL4bAY— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) June 15, 2026As reported by The Wire, Kharge had written to Bhagwat on June 13, urging the organisation to function within constitutionally-mandated regulations and “register, disclose and pay” applicable taxes. He argued that owing to the organisation’s nationwide scale and presence, it must be held to “the highest standards of transparency, accountability and constitutional compliance” and abide by the same norms binding on other non-governmental organisations, companies and religious institutions.Also read: Priyank Kharge Writes to RSS Chief, Seeks Details About Sources of Donations, Income, Tax PaidBhagwat, speaking at an RSS centenary outreach programme in Thrissur, Kerala, on Sunday (June 14), said the call for information was “driven by politics rather than genuine concerns over accountability,” reported The Hindu. He argued that RSS did not receive any government funding and was therefore not obligated to register, adding that even the Hindu religion was not a registered entity.He said, “I don’t need to respond. There are so many unregistered things functioning in the country. We are not secretive; we work openly and people know what we do. We are used to such allegations. Those who seek government funds require registration.”He contended that courts and tax officials recognised the organisation as a “body of individuals,” exempt from income-tax provisions and that its activities were conducted via public shakhas (branches) and community outreach programme. Bhagwat also pointed to the government lifting past bans on the organisation, claiming the move evidenced that authorities had always been aware of its existence and initiatives.