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Nearly 90 US Politicians Pledge to Reject RSS-Linked Funding
Nearly 90 American politicians made a promise about campaign money.
They said they would not accept donations connected to the RSS or groups linked to it.
The RSS is an organization led by Mohan Bhagwat.
The politicians also promised to oppose political violence and intimidation.
They said they would return questionable donations or give the money to groups that support democracy.
Representative Ro Khanna said he was returning $6,600 from a donor he linked to the RSS.
Some Hindu-American organizations deny being affiliated with the RSS.
It can be difficult to trace donations because money can move through donors, political committees and other organizations.
In Canada, a human-rights group asked the government to investigate 21 charities over similar concerns.
Nearly 90 politicians and candidates across eight US states pledged to reject contributions linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its affiliates.
The pledge also calls for rejecting political violence and intimidation, and returning or redirecting related donations to pro-democracy organizations.
Signatories include Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Robin Kelly, along with state and local officials from both parties.
Ro Khanna said he was returning a $6,600 contribution from a donor he described as having ties to the RSS.
Canadian advocacy group Just Peace Advocates separately asked authorities to examine the charitable status of 21 organizations over alleged RSS-linked funding.
- Who
- Nearly 90 US elected officials and candidates, including Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Robin Kelly, signed the pledge; the campaign was organized by Hindus for Human Rights Action and SACRED Acts.
- What
- The signatories pledged to reject political contributions linked to the RSS and its affiliates, oppose political violence and intimidation, and return or redirect related donations.
- Where
- The pledge covers officials and candidates across eight US states; a separate funding complaint was announced in Canada.
- When
- The pledge was announced Monday, two days after Mohan Bhagwat spoke in New York City.
- Why
- Organizers said they wanted to challenge what they describe as RSS influence in US politics and protect democracy.
Pledge Organizers and Supporters
Organizations Disputing RSS Links
Political influence
Pledge Organizers and Supporters
Hindus for Human Rights Action and SACRED Acts say RSS-linked organizations and individuals have misrepresented South Asian and Hindu-American communities and promoted an anti-democratic agenda.
Organizations Disputing RSS Links
The Hindu American Foundation describes itself as a nonpartisan Hindu civil-rights organization and denies affiliation with the RSS.
Campaign contributions
Pledge Organizers and Supporters
Pledge supporters want officials to reject money from the RSS, its affiliates and people they identify as connected to the organization, including donations routed through other entities.
Organizations Disputing RSS Links
The article notes that political funds can move through political action committees, individual donors and affiliated organizations, making it difficult to determine whether money is RSS-linked.
Caste-discrimination legislation
Pledge Organizers and Supporters
Dalit and anti-caste advocates supported California Senate Bill 403, arguing that explicitly naming caste was needed to make discrimination visible and enforceable.
Organizations Disputing RSS Links
Hindu-American organizations, including the Hindu American Foundation, opposed the bill as discriminatory and unconstitutional; Governor Gavin Newsom later vetoed it, saying existing protections already covered caste discrimination.
Key facts
- Signatories
- Nearly 90 politicians and candidates from Democratic and Republican circles
- Geographic scope
- Eight US states
- Pledge organizers
- Hindus for Human Rights Action and SACRED Acts
- Khanna donation
- Ro Khanna said he was returning $6,600 from a donor he described as having RSS ties
- Illinois funding claim
- SACRED Acts said at least $2.5 million was funneled into Illinois political campaigns by individuals tied to the RSS over the past decade
- Religious-freedom recommendation
- The US Commission on International Religious Freedom urged consideration of sanctions against RSS members and entry restrictions for RSS leaders; the recommendation was non-binding
- Canadian complaint
- Just Peace Advocates asked the Canada Revenue Agency to examine the charitable status of 21 registered charities
Quotes
Pushkar Sharma
Executive Director of SACRED Acts
“Over the past decade, in Illinois alone, individuals tied to the RSS have funnelled at least $2.5 million into political campaigns across both parties [Democratic and Republican] promoting their anti-democratic, extremist agenda that does not represent the beliefs of the vast majority of South Asian Americans”
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“I’m proud to lead on this pledge and re-assert my commitment to overcome the RSS and their attacks on global democracy”
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Ria Chakraborty
Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights Action
“For far too long, RSS-affiliated organisations and individuals have represented themselves as the only advocates for Hindu Americans in US politics. This pledge and its adoption by almost 100 political leaders is a historic rebuke to the RSS’s misrepresentation of South Asian and Hindu American communities.”
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