"Casteist, communal face": Pawan Khera lambasts RSS, backs Priyank Kharge's call for registration

New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): Congress leader Pawan Khera launched a sharp critique against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), backing Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge's call for registration of the organisation.
Slamming the Sangh in a strong-worded statement, Khera said one will find "casteist communal monster beneath the surface of a Sanghi."
In a video posted on X, Khera underlined how Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge was trolled only for asking a question regarding why the RSS does not get itself registered.

मोहन भागवत् जी, आप भारतवासियों से काग़ज़ दिखाने की बात करते हो, अब आपको अपने काग़ज़ बनाने भी होंगे, और दिखाने भी होंगे। pic.twitter.com/wRZRaneysC

— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 ಪವನ್ ಖೇರಾ (@Pawankhera) June 18, 2026

"It is said that if you scratch the skin of a 'Sanghi,' beneath the surface, you will immediately find a horrible, casteist, and communal monster. If you remove the veil from a 'Sanghi,' provoke them, or ask them a question, their internal venomous, casteist, and communal face will be exposed and unmasked. This is exactly what happened with our colleague Priyank Kharge, who asked a valid question regarding why the RSS does not get itself registered, only to be immediately targeted by an online troll army. Following this, Mohan Bhagwat suggested that if 'Hindu Dharma' itself is not registered, there is no need for the Sangh to be," he said.
Khera slammed BJP MP Sanjay Jigajinagi over his remarks questioning why Dalits are concerned about the Sangh.
"BJP MP Sanjay Jigajinagi questioned why Dalits are concerned about the Sangh while attacking Priyank Kharge. Sanjay ji, despite your perceived honesty, the reality is that while high and hollow slogans like 'one well, one temple, one cremation ground' originate from Nagpur, the actual view of the Sangh toward Dalits contradicts these claims. It appears that an educated Dalit holding their head high to question the Sangh contradicts your true reality," he said.
Furthermore, he slammed the RSS, saying that its threats to those opposing or questioning the Sangh echo a dangerous pattern which speculates whether it follows the same ideology that led to the death of Mahatma Gandhi or drives the BJP's 'Congress-free India' slogans.
"It is not the Sangh that Dalits are worried about, but the country itself; everyone except the Sangh shares this concern, which is why there is a push to bring you within the framework of the Constitution. Your threats, suggesting that those who oppose or question the Sangh will be 'finished,' echo a dangerous pattern that raises questions about whether this is the same ideology that led to the death of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 or drives your 'Congress-free India' slogans," he added.
"Mohan Bhagwat ji, you must operate within the framework of the Constitution and adopt the true spirit of India," he said.
Earlier, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge intensified his criticism of the RSS, questioning its legal status and transparency.
Kharge reiterated his demand for clarity on the organisation's constitutional and financial compliance. He also asserted that if the organisation provides valid clarification and "papers," he would apologise, while maintaining that accountability must apply equally if the claims are not substantiated.
Amid the row, BJP MP Ramesh Jigajinagi said, "Tell me what a Dalit person has to do with RSS, that's my question. He has been made a minister because his father worked for the Congress." (ANI)