NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday firmly denied Congress’ allegations that it has engaged “one of Pakistan’s official lobbying arms” to espouse its interests in the United States.Rejecting the charge, RSS national media and publicity department head Sunil Ambekar said, “The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh works in Bharat and has not engaged any lobbying firm in the United States of America.” These remarks came after Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that the RSS had hired Squire Patton Boggs (SPB), which he described as “one of Pakistan’s official lobbying arms to espouse its interests in the US” Ramesh wrote on X, “A few days ago, the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat acknowledged that the RSS isn’t a registered organisation and that it 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.” “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,” he added.The RSS, however, dismissed the accusation as false and baseless, asserting that it operates solely within India and has no ties with any foreign lobbying entity.
