Veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday, 17 June threw his weight behind Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, who had written to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat questioning the organisation's legal status and financial transparency. Singh argued that no organisation in a democracy — regardless of its size or influence — should be exempt from public accountability.

Singh's Long-Standing Demand

Singh noted that Kharge's letter to Bhagwat had revived questions he himself had been raising 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 writing to then Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in October 2021, seeking details on the RSS's registration status, sources of income, expenditure, and tax compliance. He also recalled writing directly to Bhagwat in November 2025, objecting to remarks that reportedly equated the RSS's unregistered status with that of Hinduism itself — a comparison Singh rejected outright.

The Covid-19 Fund Question

A central plank of Singh's argument concerns the RSS's large-scale relief work during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the organisation reportedly distributed more than 7 crore food packets and 1 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,' Singh said. He contended that the scale of these operations makes financial disclosure not just reasonable, but necessary.

The Accountability Standard

Singh argued that trusts, societies, NGOs, religious institutions, and political parties are all required to follow disclosure norms, and the RSS should be held to the same standard. '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 also pushed back against any suggestion that the RSS could be equated with Sanatan Dharma, saying no organisation can claim the status of a religion to avoid regulatory scrutiny.

What Singh Is Asking For

Singh urged the RSS to voluntarily make public its registration details, organisational structure, funding sources, expenditure records, and tax compliance status. He framed the demand as one of transparency rather than political opposition, saying such disclosure would strengthen public trust in the organisation.

With both Singh and Kharge pressing the issue simultaneously, the demand for RSS financial transparency is now being amplified across Congress's national and state leadership — and is unlikely to fade from political discourse in the near term.