90 US Politicians Slam RSS Influence, Return Cash; Hindu PACs Fire Back

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC-Ninety US politicians have signed a pledge to reject campaign contributions from individuals and entities linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to advocacy groups that organized the initiative. The trigger was the recent visit of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to New York where he spoke to a jam packed audience in Madison Square Garden.

The pledge was announced August 31 by Hindus for Human Rights Action and the South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy Acts (SACRED Acts). It covers federal, state and local candidates across eight US states.

The pledge came two days after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed the “Universal Oneness Celebration” at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Ahead of the event, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom urged sanctions against the RSS.

Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) cited their concerns about the RSS and its influence on US politics.

In the coalition’s press release, Jayapal said, “We must reject right-wing organizations that seek to destabilize and undermine democracy — whether it’s the far-right movement in the US or the RSS in India. I am committing to not taking any RSS-affiliated money and encourage my colleagues to do the same.”

Khanna said he was taking the pledge to prevent the RSS from creating a political action committee or influencing US elections. He described the RSS as “the group behind Gandhi’s assassination.”

Khanna also said he was donating a $6,600 contribution from a donor he described as a pro-MAGA billionaire with ties to the RSS. ‘The Nation’ reported in 2023 that Khanna had received $110,000 from figures it described as Hindu nationalists.

Hindu American organizations sharply criticized the initiative, arguing that it unfairly targets the community.

Among others, the Hindu American Political Action Committee stated on X that signatories were misled and pressured and argued that the initiative targets only Hindu-American donors. HAPAC described the campaign as “plainly discriminatory” and said it was “mimicking horrific anti-Semitic tropes” by subjecting American Hindus to a loyalty test.