Bengaluru/New Delhi: A fresh political storm has erupted after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called for a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), alleging it was responsible for unrest and communal tension in the country.
Hitting back strongly, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale challenged Kharge to “go ahead and try banning the RSS” if he believed there was any legal ground to do so. “Many have tried before you, including Congress leaders, but all failed. Even Nehru and Indira Gandhi later realised the importance of the RSS,” Hosabale said while addressing a news gathering in Delhi.
RSS Hits Back, Calls Kharge’s Statement “Unfounded and Political”
Hosabale said, “RSS has completed 100 years of service to the nation — for unity, culture and national development. If Kharge has evidence to justify a ban, let him bring it forward. Otherwise, such statements only expose political frustration.”
He reminded that several leaders in history who initially opposed the RSS later appreciated its role in national service. “Those who banned the RSS ended up acknowledging its contribution,” he added, pointing to the Congress’ past governments.
BJP Joins the Attack: ‘Kharge’s Statement Dangerous’
Senior BJP leaders, including Jagadish Shettar and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, accused Kharge of “trying to divide the nation” and “appeasing a particular vote bank.”
“Kharge is an experienced politician, but his remark against the RSS is reckless and divisive. What prompted him to make such a statement? This shows Congress’s desperation,” Shettar said.
Narayanaswamy went further, alleging, “Kharge’s remarks are just a way to protect his son’s political future. He is trying to win sympathy for him by targeting the RSS.”
Congress Defends Kharge
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad defended Kharge, saying, “Kharge spoke based on documents and facts. The RSS cannot escape accountability by calling every criticism political.”
He argued that the RSS has long influenced government functioning and education policies in ways that contradict India’s secular framework.
Political Temperature Soars Ahead of RSS Path Sanchalan
The controversy has intensified ahead of the planned RSS Path Sanchalan (march) in Yadgir’s Kembhavi on November 4. The Dalit Sangharsha Samiti has opposed the event, calling it provocative, while local authorities have held peace meetings that reportedly ended without consensus.
Observers fear the Kharge-Hosabale exchange could further escalate political tensions across Karnataka and Delhi as the BJP and Congress gear up for upcoming elections.
Kharge’s bold call to ban the RSS has reignited the ideological battle between India’s two oldest political forces. The RSS, celebrating its centenary, sees the statement as a deliberate provocation, while Congress insists it’s a call for accountability. The episode marks yet another flashpoint in the BJP-Congress rivalry that refuses to cool down.
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