Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has responded to growing debate over why the organisation is not formally registered, saying its existence and recognition are beyond bureaucratic validation.
“Many things are not registered. Even Hindu dharma (religion) is not registered,” Bhagwat said on Sunday, November 9, according to news agency PTI.
Speaking at an event in Bengaluru, Bhagwat recalled that the RSS had been banned three times in its history, arguing that the government’s repeated actions were evidence of its acknowledgement. “If we were not there, whom did they ban?” he asked.
The RSS, established in 1925, is the ideological parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his public life as a pracharak (campaigner) within the Sangh before entering active politics.
Bhagwat’s comments came against the backdrop of rising tensions with the Congress-led government in Karnataka, which has been criticised by RSS members for restricting its use of public spaces. State minister Priyank Kharge has been vocal in labelling the organisation “communal”.
Referring to the organisation’s origins, Bhagwat said, “Should we have registered RSS with the British government as it was established in 1925?” After Independence, he noted, the Indian government did not make registration mandatory.
He also addressed questions about the organisation’s tax status, claiming that the Income Tax Department and courts have recognised the RSS as a “body of individuals” and exempted it from tax obligations.
‘Organisation for service, not power’
A day earlier, also in Bengaluru, Bhagwat had said the RSS’s goal is to unite Hindu society — not for political dominance but “for the glory of the nation”.
“Hindus are responsible for Bharat,” he said, adding that the term “Hindu” includes all Indians, regardless of religion. “There is no ‘Ahindu’ (non-Hindu) in India,” he asserted, claiming that Muslims, Christians and others share the same ancestry and cultural roots.
Delivering a lecture titled 100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons, Bhagwat said the RSS’s mission is to serve society rather than seek prominence. “When an organised force like Sangh is raised, it doesn’t want power. It just wants to serve, to organise society for the glory of Bharat Mata,” he said.
He further remarked, “Sanatan Dharma is Hindu Rashtra, and the progress of Sanatan Dharma is the progress of Bharat.”
‘Not reactionary, but society’s organisation’
Reflecting on the challenges faced by the Sangh, Bhagwat noted that the organisation had endured multiple bans, opposition, and even violence against its members. “Swayamsevaks were murdered. In every way, it was tried that we should not thrive. But Swayamsevaks give their all to the Sangh and don’t want anything in return,” he said.
Reiterating that the RSS is not reactionary, Bhagwat added, “It is not in opposition to anything. It is an organisation of the society, not merely in it.” He said the group’s work remains incomplete until the entire society is united through “individual development”.
“We want to organise the Hindu society, all 142 crore people of this country, with many faiths and traditions,” Bhagwat said. “Some of them came from outside during history. We have started a dialogue with those who do not consider themselves Hindus.”
