RSS body of individuals, so exempt from tax: Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the Sangh was a recognised body of individuals as per laws of the land and was exempted from income tax.Fielding queries on opposition parties’ allegations that the RSS was an unregistered, unrecognised body, Bhagwat, speaking to influencers in Bengaluru, said, “How did the government ban an unrecognised body thrice? How did the courts thrice resolve that ban?”

Noting that the RSS was a body of individuals which functioned on voluntary donations (guru dakshina) exempted from income tax as per law, the Sangh chief said before Independence, the Sangh could not have registered with the British government and after Independence, the laws did not mandate registration.

“The Income Tax Department asked us to pay but courts exempted our guru dakshina from tax. We are a recognised body of individuals and very much a constitutional, legal entity. You keep hearing pro and anti-RSS statements all the time in Parliament. You would not have heard those had the RSS been unrecognised...By the way, even the Hindu dharma is unregistered,” he said.

On RSS roots, Bhagwat said it was established in 1925.

“Do you expect us to have registered with the British government...After Independence, laws did not make registration mandatory. We are categorised as a body of individuals, and we are a recognised organisation,” he noted.

Bhagwat said the Income Tax Department and courts had also termed the RSS a body of individuals and the organisation stood exempted from income tax.

Addressing queries on who the RSS supported and why it supported the BJP, Bhagwat said the RSS did not support any individuals.

“We support policy, not politics. So we support the party which takes the country in the direction that aligns with our thought and mission,” he said explaining why the Sangh backs the ruling BJP.

Bhagwat added that the RSS could have voted for the Congress had it supported the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

“But at that time, the BJP ticked the boxes. We do not have a special alignment with any party. There is no party of the RSS. No party is ours and all parties are ours because they are all India’s parties. The Sangh does not tell cadres where to go. They can join a party if they want but some parties say you are from the RSS and we do not want you. So every door is closed for RSS swayamsevaks. The only door open is the BJP; so naturally our workers go there,” he said.

Asked if Muslims could join the RSS, the Sangh supremo said the RSS did not ask the faith or caste of anyone coming to it.

“When you come to the RSS shakha, you come as a son of India. Christians and Muslims also come. We do not ask them who they are,” he said.

On Pakistan, he said, “We have always desired peace with Pakistan. Pakistan has not desired peace with us. In 1971, Pakistan lost an army of 90,000 to Bharat. If this happens repeatedly, Pakistan will learn the lesson that it is better to cooperate.”

On Muslims, he said, “Don’t put all Muslims in one bracket. There is a small section of Muslims which does not condone aggression. We should befriend them. There are some neutral ones who follow the Islamic way. That is a large section. Some are radicals. So we have to differentiate.”

On women power, Bhagwat said, “Women can do all that men can; men cannot do all that women can.”