Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 29 : Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday questioned BJP leaders over the participation of their children in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities and sought answers on the organisation's financial transparency.
In a post on X, Kharge said Karnataka has 224 Assembly constituencies and challenged the BJP to show photographs of children of its candidates wearing RSS uniforms, attending shakhas, serving in gaushalas or following the lifestyle advocated by the organisation.
“Let’s bust the propaganda. Karnataka has 224 Assembly constituencies. Here’s a simple challenge: put up photographs of the children of BJP candidates in RSS uniform, attending shakhas, serving in gaushalas or actually living the lifestyle they prescribe so enthusiastically for everyone else. How many can you find? Not even 10%,” Kharge said.
He then named senior BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Anurag Thakur, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and questioned how many of their children were active RSS swayamsevaks or regularly attended shakhas.
“If the RSS is supposedly the great school of nationalism, discipline and character-building, why does it so often seem that the syllabus is meant for other people’s children?” he asked.
Kharge also raised questions about the RSS's finances, seeking information on registration, audited accounts, donor disclosures and financial transparency.
“And while you are at it, answer the questions on money too. If large sums are collected as ‘Guru Dakshina’ and in the name of nationalism, social service and religion, why should there be any hesitation about registration, audited accounts, donor disclosures and complete financial transparency?” he said.
Kharge was responding to a post by the BJP's Karnataka unit which said that those who view activities through “party percentages and High-Command approvals” would not understand voluntary service.
“Those who measure everything through party percentages and High Command approvals will never understand voluntary, selfless service to the nation, Mr. #TrollMinister. Swayamsevaks don't work for ‘salaries,’ ‘appraisals,’ or a ‘High Command’,” BJP Karnataka said in a post on X.