Karnataka targets 'unregistered' groups in public property Bill amid RSS row

The Karnataka government is considering a Bill to regulate the use of government premises and public property, including by unregistered organisations, in a move that comes amid state home minister Priyank Kharge's continuing confrontation with the RSS over its activities in public spaces.

Sources said the state cabinet discussed on Thursday 'The Karnataka Regulation of Use of Government Premises and Public Property Bill, 2026'. The proposed legislation would require any organisation, including an unregistered one, to obtain permission from the concerned authority before holding an event on government premises or public property.

Sources said the move is likely to affect RSS activities, including shakhas held in government schools, colleges, public grounds and other government-owned spaces. Groups such as the RSS would have to seek official permission before using such premises, they said.

The proposal comes amid a row between Kharge and the RSS that began last year when the minister sought a ban on RSS activities in government institutions and public spaces. In a letter to then chief minister Siddaramaiah, Kharge had alleged that the RSS was conducting shakhas in government and government-aided schools and on public grounds, where "slogans are shouted, and negative ideas are instilled in the minds of children and youth".

According to Kharge, such activities "go against India's unity and the spirit of the Constitution". He had sought a ban on RSS activities in government and aided schools, colleges, public grounds, parks, Muzrai temples, archaeological sites and other government land. Siddaramaiah subsequently directed officials to take action, and the state later moved to regulate the use of public properties.

The issue has since developed into a broader political confrontation. In June this year, Kharge, now the state's home minister, wrote to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking details of the organisation's legal status, registration, office-bearers, funding, expenditure and tax compliance.

Kharge argued that an organisation with the RSS's scale and public presence should be subject to transparency and accountability requirements applicable to other organisations. He also questioned the legal basis on which the RSS conducted activities without formal registration.

Bhagwat rejected the demand, describing it as politically motivated and saying there was nothing serious about Kharge's questions. The RSS has maintained that it functions openly and does not need formal registration in the manner suggested by the minister.

Kharge has also linked his demand for greater scrutiny to the scale of RSS activities in Karnataka and the state's responsibility for security during its public programmes and marches. He has argued that, as home minister, he needs clarity on the organisation and those involved in its public events.

The latest proposal is therefore likely to revive the political dispute over whether public property can be used for activities of organisations that are not formally registered, and whether such regulations are being framed neutrally or primarily to restrict the RSS.

The BJP is expected to oppose the move, with the issue likely to become another flashpoint between the Congress government and the RSS, which is the ideological parent of the BJP.

With PTI inputs