A major war of words has broken out between Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge over the legal and financial status of the Sangh. Citing the RSS's massive footprint—including over 4,100 daily shakhas in Karnataka alone—Kharge wrote an open letter to Bhagwat demanding disclosures on funding sources, tax compliance, and registration. Brushing it aside as a "political gimmick" timed with the RSS's centenary year, Bhagwat hit back, asserting that the RSS does not take government funds, operates entirely in the open, and that even "Hindu Dharma is not registered."