Congress says RSS hired Pakistan-linked lobbying firm in US
Srinagar: India’s main opposition party, the Congress, has launched a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing the parent body of the ruling BJP of hiring a lobbying firm in the United States that it described as “one of Pakistan’s official lobbying arms”.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Congress general secretary for communications Jairam Ramesh said that US Senate lobbying disclosures show that the American law firm Squire Patton Boggs (SPB), which according to him has previously represented Pakistan’s interests, has now registered itself as a lobbyist for the RSS. Sharing screenshots of the disclosure on X, Ramesh said the revelation raises serious questions about the Sangh’s operations and motivations.
He noted that this development comes just days after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat publicly acknowledged that the RSS is neither a registered organisation nor a tax-paying entity—an admission that, according to the Congress, underscores the opaque functioning of the Sangh.
Ramesh asserted that this was not the first instance of the RSS betraying national causes, recalling its historical opposition to the freedom movement, Gandhi, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, and even the Indian Constitution and national flag. “It is a pseudo-nationalist outfit,” he said, accusing the organisation of once again acting against India’s interests.
The RSS has not issued any response to the allegations so far.
Political observers say the claims highlight growing friction between the Congress and RSS-BJP establishment and have triggered fresh debate over the Sangh’s international engagements.
