Bengaluru, Nov 9: In a subtle response to Congress leaders who have criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for functioning without formal registration, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the organisation is recognised as a “body of individuals.”

Speaking during an internal question-and-answer session organised by the RSS, Bhagwat remarked, “The RSS was founded in 1925. Do you expect us to have registered with the British government back then?”

He further explained that after India gained independence, the government did not make registration mandatory.

“We are categorised as a body of individuals and are a recognised organisation,” Bhagwat said.

According to him, both the Income Tax Department and the courts have recognised this status, and the RSS is exempt from income tax. “We have been banned three times. So, clearly, the government knows who we are. If we didn’t exist, whom did they ban?” he asked pointedly.

Drawing a comparison, Bhagwat said many things are not registered yet widely respected.

“Even Hindu Dharma is not registered,” he quipped.

Addressing allegations that the RSS respects only the saffron flag and not the Indian tricolour, Bhagwat clarified that while the saffron flag is revered as a ‘Guru’ within the organisation, the national flag holds great respect.

“We always honour, salute, and protect our tricolour,” he said.

Bhagwat’s comments came in the wake of recent statements by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who said the RSS should be banned, and his son, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, who demanded restrictions on RSS activities in government institutions and public places. The younger Kharge also questioned the organisation’s registration and sources of funding.