Mohan Bhagwat Defends RSS: “We’re A Recognised Body of Individuals”

RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday firmly countered Congress leaders’ demands for a ban on the organisation, declaring that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is a fully recognised “body of individuals” by the Government of India, the Income Tax department, and multiple courts. Speaking at an internal question-answer session in Bengaluru, Bhagwat dismissed calls for registration by pointing out that the RSS was founded in 1925 under British rule and was never required to register after Independence. “We were banned thrice—if we did not exist, whom did the government ban?” he asked, underscoring the state’s repeated official acknowledgement of the organisation.

Bhagwat’s sharp rebuttal comes days after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge demanded an outright ban on the RSS, and his son, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, called for barring RSS activities in government institutions while questioning its registration and funding sources. The RSS chief clarified that the organisation enjoys income-tax exemption precisely because authorities have consistently classified it as a body of individuals engaged in cultural and social work. Drawing a parallel, he noted that even Hindu Dharma itself is unregistered, yet universally recognised.

Addressing another persistent criticism, Bhagwat reiterated the RSS’s unwavering respect for the national tricolour despite treating the saffron flag as a guru. “We always salute, honour, and protect the Tiranga,” he asserted, rejecting accusations of disloyalty. The session, meant for swayamsevaks, quickly went viral as clips circulated widely on social media, intensifying the ongoing political slugfest between the RSS and the Congress.

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With assembly elections approaching in several states and the Congress aggressively pushing its “RSS-free India” narrative, Bhagwat’s point-by-point demolition of the registration controversy has energised the Sangh’s rank and file. Political analysts see the exchange as the opening salvo in what promises to be a heated ideological battle ahead of the 2026-27 poll cycle.

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