Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh made a stark remark against Om Birla‘s Bangladesh visit calling it a reward from the Centre for not letting the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, speak in the Lok Sabha. Om Birla will be visiting Dhaka for the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh PM-elect Tarique Rahman.Speaking to ANI, Singh said, “Om Birla must have been rewarded by the government for not allowing the LoP to speak in the Lok Sabha. At the same time, now that a new government has been formed (in Bangladesh), the Indian government should go there and strongly raise the issue of the atrocities being committed against minority Hindus and end the tension there.”The Congress leader also endorsed remarks made earlier by Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, who questioned the legal and financial status of the RSS. Kharge had described the BJP as a “devil’s shadow” and raised concerns about the RSS’s registration, funding sources and tax compliance.“His question is valid because the RSS hasn’t been registered for a long time. Regarding the money issue, it’s true that when electoral bonds were introduced, there was some kind of fraud. It evolved a certain party in such a way that a level playing field no longer existed,” he said.Earlier, Priyank Kharge asked why the RSS had not registered itself despite operating extensively in India and abroad.“They’re unregistered. They don’t want to register. All I’m asking is to follow the law of the land. If you’re an individual, that does not mean that you should not be registered. Which law says that? You should be registered. I’m asking how you’re getting the donations? Where are you getting the donations from? Who is donating? How come you’re running such large operations domestically and internationally, and you’re still not paying taxes?” he said.Citing media reports, Kharge claimed that over 2,500 organisations were responsible for funding the RSS and called for greater transparency. “This is a question the government should be asking,” he said.He also referred to statements by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat about the organisation functioning on “Guru Dakshina”, traditionally offered to a guru. Kharge questioned whether collecting funds in the name of the RSS’s symbolic saffron flag — which the organisation considers its “guru” — exempted it from financial scrutiny. Drawing a comparison with religious institutions, he argued that even temple donations are subject to audits and asked whether the RSS considered itself “above the law.”Kharge further cited Bhagwat’s past remarks linking the BJP’s political success to the RSS’s support, reiterating his claim that the BJP functioned as the “shadow” of the RSS.
