The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) hiring a top US lobbying firm, one which was also recently linked to Pakistan, has ignited fierce criticism and deep concern for a range of objective, evidence-backed reasons. RSS has denied the report but the evidence present in the official filings (LDA filings, lobbying disclosure documents and payment records of $330,000 paid to Squire Patton Boggs) in the United States is irrefutable. The pictures posted by the RSS on X with the lobbyists in India lend further weight to the proposition.

Here are seven reasons why this development about this unregistered Indian organisation – which was recently hailed by the prime minister as the world’s biggest NGO – should be viewed as alarming and potentially harmful to Indian interests, democracy and credibility.

Financial opacity betrays public trust

The RSS’s financial opacity, which is manifest in its undisclosed sources and unaccountable spending, betrays public trust and raises serious questions about the legitimacy of its transnational influence operations. The RSS is an unregistered body and does not formally publish its accounts or pay taxes as per its own admission. Funding a $330,000 US lobbying campaign without disclosure mechanisms raises critical questions: Where did the money originate? Are donors and members in India aware of these international expenses? While FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) requires some disclosure, the full extent of RSS financial networks, funding sources and spending remains opaque. Indians have no way to audit how much is spent, who benefits, or what commitments are made in their country's name by an unregistered organisation. This opacity undermines public trust and accountability, especially when such transnational spending is justified with nationalistic pretensions.​

Undermines Indian sovereignty

RSS’s actions directly erode India’s diplomatic sovereignty by blurring the distinction between official and extra-governmental advocacy abroad. Influence operations abroad by a domestic political or ideological organisation, especially by circumventing state diplomatic channels, dilute sovereign control over foreign policy messaging by the Indian state. India's Ministry of External Affairs conducts official diplomacy. When non-governmental ideological organisations independently lobby foreign governments, it creates confusion about who speaks for India and can undermine carefully calibrated diplomatic positions. This dual-track approach weakens India’s institutional democracy and sends mixed signals to global partners about who actually sets India’s foreign and domestic priorities.​

Distorts India's diversity

Projecting RSS’s exclusionary Hindutva agenda through US lobbying distorts India’s pluralistic image, marginalising the voices and interests of a majority of Indians who do not support the organisation. The RSS promotes an exclusionary Hindutva ideology that conflicts with India's constitutional secularism and pluralistic identity. The RSS has documented connections to communal violence in India. Its ideological affiliate was implicated in Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Having such an organisation represent "Indian interests" to US policymakers falsely presents a monolithic religious-nationalist perspective as the Indian view, erasing the voices of India's Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, atheists and its secular Hindu citizens.

Undercuts democratic accountability

The RSS’s foreign lobbying erodes democratic accountability by allowing an unelected, unregistered entity to influence US policy, sidestepping the mechanisms and safeguards of India’s constitutional democracy. The RSS is not accountable to Indian voters, yet it seeks to influence US policy that affects India's international standing. Unlike elected officials who are answerable to the parliament, the RSS operates as an ideological organisation that bypasses democratic processes while trying to shape narratives about India abroad. Bulk lobbying by an ideologically driven group, rather than the government, feeds into the perception that India’s politics are increasingly subject to opaque transnational manipulation. This comes at a time when international critics already highlight concerns over India’s democratic backsliding, and such lobbying risks entangling Indian foreign policy with the RSS’s polarising domestic image, rather than keeping them within the purview of formal government diplomacy.

Risks foreign influence operations

By attempting to reshape its global reputation through paid foreign lobbying, the RSS risks provoking backlash and increased scrutiny, exposing India to diplomatic embarrassment and hostility. Hiring lobbyists in Washington D.C. is not mere public relations; it is foreign influence. When the RSS, an organisation frequently described by global media and human rights groups as promoting Hindu majoritarian and exclusionary agendas, spends heavily to influence US lawmaking, it risks a major backlash. Evidence from other cases shows that attempts to “rebrand” extremist reputations via foreign lobbying often result in increased scrutiny, negative media coverage and sometimes legal sanctions in the host country, potentially causing diplomatic embarrassment to India.​

Sets a precedent for other extremist groups

RSS’s initiative sets a dangerous precedent for other extremist or sectarian organisations. When one major organisation, especially with paramilitary roots and a history of sectarian violence allegations, openly lobbies abroad, it normalises the practice. This could encourage other religious, regional or extremist networks, which could also be potentially funded by hostile foreign actors, to adopt the same tactic, leading to a lobbying and influence arms race in Washington that ultimately damages India’s interests and global standing.​

Contradicts its stated nationalist ideology

Engaging a US lobbying firm, particularly one with alleged ties to Pakistan, contradicts the RSS’s so-called nationalist ideology and reveals an opportunistic disregard for its own so-called foundational values. Such an act is plainly contradictory, betraying its foundational claims of upholding “nationalist” values.​

In summary, the RSS hiring a US lobbying firm is not just a question of bad optics. It poses serious questions about loyalty, transparency, legality and accountability, and should be recognised as a deeply troubling indicator of political expediency overruling foundational principles and democratic norms. An unregistered ideological organisation with a history of promoting religious nationalism and links to communal violence should not purchase influence over how a major global power perceives India. This unprecedented lobbying move by the RSS risks undermining Indian democracy, pluralism and diplomatic credibility.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.