Congress says RSS hired Pakistan-linked lobbying firm in US
Congress accuses the RSS of hiring a Pakistan-linked US lobbying firm, citing Senate disclosures, sparking renewed debate over the organisation’s transparency
The Congress on Thursday (November 13) accused the RSS of engaging "one of Pakistan's official lobbying arms" to further its interests in the US. The party’s general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X alleged that this was not the first time the RSS has "betrayed national interest".
Ramesh pointed out that recently, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had admitted that the RSS was not a registered organisation and does not pay taxes.
"Now, we learn that the RSS has spent a significant amount of money to engage one of Pakistan’s official lobbying arms - the American law firm Squire Patton Boggs (SPB) - to espouse its interests in the US," Ramesh alleged on X.
‘Betrayed freedom movement’
"This is hardly the first time that the RSS -- with its long tradition of betraying the freedom movement, opposing Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Ambedkar, and attacking the Constitution and the national flag of India -- has betrayed national interest. It is a pseudo-nationalist outfit," added Ramesh.
Also Read: Mohan Bhagwat defends RSS’s non-registration: ‘Even Hindu dharma isn’t’
He also shared a screenshot on X showing US Senate lobbying disclosures, which showed that Squire Patton Boggs had registered as a lobbyist for the RSS.
What Mohan Bhagwat had said
Earlier, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat defended the organisation’s tax-exempt status, saying the Income Tax Department and courts have recognised the RSS as a “body of individuals,” which does not require paying income tax.
Speaking at the “100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons” lecture series, he had said that the RSS began in 1925 and was not expected to register with the British government.
Also Read: Crisis-ridden world looking at India with hope: Mohan Bhagwat
He noted the organisation had been banned three times, with courts dismissing the ban each time, and asserted that it remains “legally and constitutionally” valid.
Bhagwat added that “even Hindu Dharma is not registered,” arguing that registration was not mandatory after Independence.
Priyank Kharge's charge against RSS
His comments followed criticism from Congress leader Priyank Kharge, who questioned the RSS’s unregistered status and alleged the group avoided financial scrutiny by remaining outside formal registration systems.
Also Read: Kharge says RSS should be banned, cites Patel’s remarks after Gandhi’s assassination
Kharge also raised concerns about the source of the organisation’s funding. He demanded restrictions on RSS involvement in government institutions, calling for a ban on its activities in government schools, colleges, and state-owned temples.
According to Kharge, permissions should not be granted for activities that fall outside approved academic syllabi in state-run educational spaces. The exchange has renewed debate over the RSS’s structure, transparency, and presence in public institutions.
(With agency inputs)