Senior Congress leader and MLC B.K. Hariprasad on Sunday described the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as the “Indian Taliban” and said the right-wing organisation was not a registered body.

The RSS has been running shakhas in the State but had not taken permission from the police, he told presspersons in Bengaluru. “The RSS is not a registered body,” and it has to take permission from authorities concerned to conduct functions in public places, such as grounds and parks, he added.

The Congress leader’s remarks came on the day the RSS took out a march in various localities in Bengaluru.

‘Underworld organisation’

He said: “The RSS is the Taliban of India. They are an organisation that is not registered with the government. Let them show that their organisation is registered.”

He termed the RSS as an “underworld” organisation that is conducting functions “irresponsibly”.

“If you want to hold any kind of programme in public places, you must first get permission from the government. We have no objection if you do it after getting permission. But the RSS shakhas (branches) have been operating without any permission for many years with lathis and talwar,” he said.

RSS shakhas

The Congress in its manifesto in Karnataka has promised to ban the Bajrang Dal, but the government has not done it yet. The question has been raised why it has not been banned in the State, he said.

Mr. Hariprasad said the Tamil Nadu government has taken action against RSS members, arrested them, and booked cases. He demanded that a similar action be taken in Karnataka too

He said that several Ministers had written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asking him to take steps to monitor RSS activities in the State.

Published - October 12, 2025 04:27 pm IST