Mohan Bhagwat Says RSS Not Registered Like Hindu Dharma, Defends Legal Status and Tax Exemption

Mohan Bhagwat Says RSS Not Registered Like Hindu Dharma, Defends Legal Status and Tax Exemption

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RSS Not Registered Like Hindu Dharma: Mohan Bhagwat Defends Legal Status Amid Congress Attacks

Mohan Bhagwat says RSS is unregistered like Hindu Dharma, defends its legal status, tax exemption, and independence amid Congress criticism.

Key Points

  • Mohan Bhagwat compared RSS’s unregistered status to Hindu Dharma, saying registration is not mandatory.
  • He justified the RSS’s legal standing by citing its century-long public operations.
  • Bhagwat explained that RSS is treated as a “body of individuals” for tax purposes.
  • Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyank Kharge demanded transparency in RSS funding.
  • The remarks were made during the “100 Years of Sangh Journey” event in Bengaluru.

RSS Not Registered Like Hindu Dharma: Mohan Bhagwat Defends Legal Status Amid Congress Attacks

TheInterviewTimes.com | Bengaluru | November 9, 2025 — Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday defended the organisation’s unregistered status, asserting that the RSS, like Hindu Dharma, does not require official registration. Speaking at the “100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons” event in Bengaluru, Mohan Bhagwat said, “Many things are not registered — even Hindu Dharma is not registered.”

The statement was made before thousands of swayamsevaks and senior RSS leaders. It came as a direct response to growing political criticism from Congress leaders who have repeatedly questioned the RSS’s legal standing and tax exemption.

Mohan Bhagwat Justifies RSS’s Historical and Legal Position

Explaining the origins of the RSS, Mohan Bhagwat reminded the audience that the organisation was founded in 1925 by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar during British rule. “We were opposing the British government. How could we register with the same government we were fighting against?” he asked.

After India’s independence, Bhagwat continued, there was no compulsion for socio-cultural organisations like the RSS to register. “Registration was never mandatory for bodies like ours,” Mohan Bhagwat asserted, stressing that the organisation has worked transparently for a century without breaking any law.

He also cited three instances when the RSS was banned — in 1948, 1975, and 1992 — as evidence of its legal recognition. “Three times the government banned us. Each time the courts lifted the ban. If we did not exist, whom did they ban?” Mohan Bhagwat asked rhetorically.

Tax Exemption and Financial Transparency

On financial matters, Mohan Bhagwat clarified that the Income Tax Department recognises the RSS as a “body of individuals” engaged in cultural and charitable work, not as a business entity. Contributions collected as “Guru Dakshina,” he said, are voluntary and fall under permissible exemptions of the Income Tax Act.

“Courts and the Income Tax Department have accepted this position repeatedly,” Mohan Bhagwat emphasised. The RSS chief added that the organisation neither receives government grants nor foreign funding, depending solely on voluntary contributions from its members.

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Political Context and Congress Criticism

The remarks by Mohan Bhagwat follow sharp political comments by Congress leaders. On November 5, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had asked why the RSS operates without registration, calling for greater transparency in its financial structure. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge also demanded that the RSS be barred from using public land for shakhas and urged audits of its accounts.

Responding to these allegations, Mohan Bhagwat dismissed them as politically motivated. “Those who raise these questions today never asked them when they were in power,” he said, adding that the RSS’s century-long record of service and discipline stands as its best certificate of legitimacy.

RSS Centenary Event and Broader Message

The Bengaluru event formed part of the RSS’s ongoing centenary celebrations. Senior functionaries such as Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale and Sah-Sarkaryavah Mukunda C.R. joined Mohan Bhagwat on stage, while veteran pracharak Suresh Joshi moderated the session.

Legal experts have pointed out that unregistered associations are not unlawful in India so long as they operate within the constitutional framework. The Supreme Court has previously affirmed the right of such organisations to exist and function freely.

As the RSS marks 100 years since its founding, Mohan Bhagwat’s statements underline the organisation’s intention to maintain its long-standing independence and operational model — rooted in cultural nationalism rather than bureaucratic compliance.