Bhagwat Slams Tax Exemption Debate: RSS 'Not a Reactionary Body', Says Hindu Dharma Unregistered

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Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has responded to ongoing criticism over the organization's tax-exempt status and lack of formal registration. At an event in Bengaluru, he claimed that many entities, including Hindu dharma, are not registered, and the government has 'recognized' the RSS despite three past bans. Bhagwat argued that the RSS was not established to gain power, but to serve and organize Hindu society for the glory of the nation. He emphasized that everyone in India, regardless of their faith, is a descendant of the same ancestors and that the 'core culture of the country is Hindu.' The RSS chief also cited the organization's 100-year history, stating that it was established in 1925 and that the government did not make registration compulsory after Independence in 1947. Bhagwat claimed that the income tax department and courts have acknowledged the RSS as a body of individuals, exempting it from tax. In his lecture, '100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons,' Bhagwat said that the RSS aims to organize the Hindu society, consisting of over 1.42 billion people with various religious denominations. He also expressed the organization's willingness to engage in dialogue with those who do not consider themselves Hindus. Bhagwat's remarks come amid a tense atmosphere in Bengaluru, where the Congress government has been restricting the RSS's access to public spaces. The RSS chief's comments have sparked a debate over the organization's tax-exempt status and its definition of Hinduism.