RSS yet to reply to my letter, says Priyank Kharge

Home Minister Priyank Kharge at a press conference in Kalaburagi on Monday. | Photo credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday said he was in no rush for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to respond to a letter he wrote raising a number of questions and remarking, “abhi picture baaki hai”.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Kharge said the RSS has not yet responded to his letter and dismissed reports that the organization (RSS) was collecting information about him and his family, saying, “Let them do it.”

He reiterated that the RSS would have to get prior permission for its routes. He added that future applications will be considered in accordance with court directions, government guidelines and the prevailing law and order situation.

Mr. Kharge questioned the RSS practice of collecting Guru Dakshina and sought transparency in the accounting of funds. He also said that the RSS may be linked to the irregularities surrounding donations to the Sri Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Referring to reports of theft of cash, gold, silver, jewelery and other valuables, as well as irregularities in the construction contracts of the Sri Ram temple, Mr Kharge said: “If there is a donation scam, I have no doubt that the RSS is involved.”

The RSS has not yet responded to this, he added.

The minister also criticized the Union government’s foreign policy question as to why retail fuel prices have not come down despite the drop in world oil prices.

Responding to a question on the Cabinet expansion, Mr. Kharge said the Congress leadership has been asked to ensure greater representation of the Kalyana Karnataka region in the proposed expansion.

New police station

Mr. Kharge said the government was open to constructive suggestions from the institutions, including the Lokayukta.

Regarding the establishment of new police stations, he said the proposals will be judged on central norms, crime patterns rather than the geographical extent of the area, which determines the need for new police stations, including within the Kalaburagi Police Commissionerate.

He said the government is also working on a legally sustainable transfer policy for staff in the home and prisons departments who remain in the same positions for long periods of time.

Published – 06 Jul 2026 22:34 IST