Bhopal: Veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday extended support to Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge for raising questions about the legal status and financial transparency of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
He said no organisation in a democracy should be beyond accountability.
In a statement, Singh noted that Kharge’s recent letter to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had revived issues he himself had been highlighting for years.
“The questions raised by Priyank Kharge are not new. I have been seeking answers on the RSS’s legal status, financial sources and accountability for a long time,” Singh said.
He recalled that in October 2021, he had written to then Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking details on the RSS’s registration status, sources of income, expenditure and tax compliance.
Singh argued that all trusts, societies, NGOs, religious institutions and political parties are expected to follow disclosure norms, and the RSS should be held to the same standards.
Singh pointed to claims that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the RSS distributed more than seven crore food packets and one crore ration kits across the country.
“If such large-scale activities were carried out, it is natural to ask from where the funds came and how they were spent. These questions have remained unanswered,” he said.
He also recalled writing to Bhagwat in November 2025, objecting to remarks that equated the RSS’s unregistered status with that of Hinduism.
Singh said no organisation could be equated with Sanatan Dharma and sought clarification on the RSS’s legal and financial structure.
Describing the matter as one of transparency rather than politics, Singh said public accountability is a fundamental requirement in a democracy.
“If lakhs of trusts, voluntary organisations, religious institutions, companies and political parties disclose their financial details, the same expectation is natural from an organisation that claims to be among the country’s largest and most influential. No institution can be above questions and accountability in a democracy,” he said.
He urged the RSS to make public details of its registration, organisational structure, sources of funding, expenditure, and tax compliance, saying such a move would strengthen transparency and public trust.
(IANS)
