Bengaluru— Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has addressed the long-standing question about why the organisation is not formally registered, asserting that registration does not define legitimacy. “Many things are not registered. Even Hindu dharma is not registered,” Bhagwat said, according to PTI.
Speaking at an event in Bengaluru on Sunday, Bhagwat reminded critics that the RSS had been banned three times in the past, which, he argued, was proof of official recognition. “If we were not there, whom did they ban?” he said. The RSS, founded in 1925, is the ideological parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his public career as an RSS pracharak before entering politics.
When asked about the organisation’s history, Bhagwat said, “Should we have registered the RSS with the British government as it was established in 1925? After Independence, the government never made it compulsory to register.”
Addressing questions on taxation, Bhagwat said the Income Tax Department and the courts have recognised the RSS as “a body of individuals” and have therefore exempted it from tax obligations.
A day earlier, also in Bengaluru, Bhagwat had spoken at a lecture titled ‘100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons’, where he reiterated the organisation’s core philosophy. “The RSS doesn’t seek power or prominence. It only aims to organise Hindu society for the glory of Bharat Mata,” he said.
He further claimed that the essence of India’s identity is rooted in its ancient civilisational ethos. “Sanatan Dharma is Hindu Rashtra, and the progress of Sanatan Dharma is the progress of Bharat,” Bhagwat said, adding that the term ‘Hindu’ represents all Indians, regardless of religion. “There is no Ahindu in India. Christians and Muslims too share the same ancestors and core culture,” he stated.
Reflecting on the organisation’s challenges over the decades, Bhagwat said, “The RSS faced multiple bans, opposition, and even violence. But swayamsevaks dedicate their lives to the Sangh without expecting anything in return.”
Emphasising that the RSS is not a reactionary force, Bhagwat described it as “an organisation of society, not in society.” He said the organisation’s mission is to unify all 142 crore Indians — encompassing every religious denomination — through mutual respect and cultural harmony. “We are also engaging in dialogue with those who do not consider themselves Hindus,” Bhagwat added.
