Ex-Bureaucrat seeks ED, CBDT probe into RSS’s alleged $330,000 payment to US lobbying firm
New Delhi: Former Union government secretary E.A.S. Sarma has written to Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava urging the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to investigate whether the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) engaged a US lobbying firm by paying $330,000, and whether such funds should attract tax scrutiny in India. His letter, reported by The Wire, raises serious questions about the source, legality and disclosure of funds allegedly used by the RSS for lobbying in the United States.
Sarma drew attention to a filing made before the US Senate by Squire Patton Boggs (SPB), a prominent lobbying firm, which listed the RSS as a client. He also referred to media reports saying that SPB received $330,000 this year from another lobbying firm acting on behalf of the RSS. According to Sarma, this disclosure is troubling given that the RSS is not registered in India, operates through donations known as “Guru Dakshina”, and claims to function only within the country.
Calling the revelations “surprising”, Sarma questioned how the RSS could have paid a US lobbying firm if it neither has legal registration in India nor has disclosed any foreign branch. He asked whether RSS is registered under US law and whether its members — who offer Guru Dakshina as a traditional contribution — were aware that their funds may have been diverted for foreign lobbying.
Quoting traditional definitions, Sarma wrote that Guru Dakshina is meant to express gratitude to the “Guru” for imparting knowledge. Indian tax tribunals have previously upheld tax exemptions for RSS funds, citing this spiritual context. He argued that diverting such funds to a foreign lobbying agency changes their character entirely and raises serious questions of legality and propriety.
Sarma asked the CBDT to demand clarity from the RSS on multiple points: how its name appeared in official US lobbying disclosures, whether it has disclosed any overseas operations to Indian tax authorities, whether Guru Dakshina funds were used for the payments, and whether any foreign remittances were made in compliance with Indian regulations.
The developments follow a report by US-based outlet Prism, which stated that SPB — a firm also retained by the Pakistani government — received $330,000 in 2025 to lobby on behalf of the RSS before the US Senate and House of Representatives. The New York Times separately reported that Pakistan’s lobbying efforts, which included SPB, coincided with favourable shifts from the Trump administration, including a tariff cut from 29% to 19%. During the same period, US tariffs on India were raised to 50%.
These disclosures fuelled a political controversy in India over the transparency and legality of the RSS’s finances and its alleged engagement of a foreign lobbying firm.
Denying the reports, RSS functionary Sunil Ambekar posted on X that the organisation had not hired any lobbying agency. “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh works in Bharat and has not engaged any lobbying firm in United States of America,” he wrote.
Sarma’s letter, however, argues that the denial does not address the official records filed with the US government. He insists that the issue demands urgent scrutiny from the ED and CBDT due to its implications for tax compliance, foreign exchange laws and the credibility of publicly disclosed financial information.
The matter, first reported by The Wire, is expected to fuel further debate over the RSS’s financial practices and possible violations of Indian regulatory norms.
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VHP warns of statewide stir in Karnataka against move to ease cattle transport law
Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): The VHP on Saturday demanded the immediate withdrawal of a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, accusing the state government of weakening a law that has deterred illegal cattle transport.
The organisation's Go Raksha Wing, Karnataka South, has also announced district-level protests on December 8.
According to officials, the existing law mandates a bank guarantee for securing the release of vehicles seized for alleged illegal cattle transportation.
On December 4, the state Cabinet proposed an amendment enabling the release of such vehicles on an indemnity bond instead.
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Addressing reporters in Udupi, VHP leader and Prantha Goraksha Pramukh Sunil K R, said the government's move amounted to "sympathy for cattle lifters" and claimed that it was part of broader actions "targeting Hindus".
He argued that the law in its current form is stringent and has played a crucial role in reducing incidents of illegal cattle transport and theft.
Under the Act, vehicles involved in offences can be surrendered and, upon conviction, permanently seized by authorities. "Diluting these provisions will embolden offenders," Sunil said.
The VHP leader warned that easing the process of vehicle release would not only encourage violators but also result in rising cruelty against cattle.
Sunil further claimed that the strict enforcement of the 2020 law had brought down cases of cattle-related offences significantly. Rolling back these provisions, he said, could reverse those gains and would lead to an increase in illegal transport.
He reiterated that the government must reconsider its decision and preserve the integrity of the existing law.
