Overview
- Speaking at an in-house Q&A during the RSS centenary in Bengaluru, Mohan Bhagwat said the organisation is categorised as a “body of individuals.”
- He said the Income Tax Department and courts have noted this status, which he claimed has resulted in income-tax exemption.
- Bhagwat cited the RSS’s 1925 founding under British rule and three subsequent bans to argue that governments have already recognised the organisation.
- He stated that Muslims and Christians may attend shakhas if they keep religious separateness out and identify as “sons of Bharat Mata.”
- He asserted respect for the Tricolour and described the RSS as apolitical and policy-focused, as Congress and CPI leaders renewed calls for transparency or a ban.