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Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah launched a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Monday, August 17, describing it as a “thousand-headed poisonous snake” driven by communalism, casteism and Manuvad.

He also demanded that the RSS, BJP and Sri Rama Sene publicly apologise to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over the alleged “purification” ritual conducted at Haldwani in Uttarakhand after Kharge addressed a public meeting there.

“The RSS is like a thousand-headed poisonous snake. It is filled with the poison of casteism, communalism and Manuvad. It is trying to poison society. If it is not controlled, it will harm society and the country,” Yathindra said.

He urged Congress workers to continue their protests until the organisations concerned tender an apology to Kharge.

“I appeal to all Congress workers to continue the struggle without losing courage until the RSS, BJP and Sri Rama Sene publicly apologise to Mallikarjun Kharge,” he said.

Yathindra also called upon those who believe in eliminating the caste system to oppose what he described as the “regressive mindset” of the RSS.

‘Existence is not the issue, accountability is’

The controversy has also widened into a debate over the legal status and transparency of the RSS. Home Minister Priyank Kharge questioned the organisation’s legal framework and sought clarity on its properties, bank accounts, donations and audited financial records.

“Existence is not the issue. Accountability is,” Priyank said in a post on X, responding to BJP national general secretary B.L. Santhosh’s defence of the RSS.

He questioned under what law the RSS operates and who legally owns its properties and manages its bank accounts.

“No one is questioning whether the RSS exists. The question is under what law it exists and under what legal identity it operates,” Priyank said.

He argued that organisations with a large national influence should maintain greater transparency and public accountability.

The remarks from the Congress leaders are likely to intensify the ongoing political confrontation between the Congress and BJP over the RSS, nationalism, constitutional accountability and the alleged incident in Haldwani.