Washington DC: New findings show that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological base of India’s ruling BJP, is funding a large lobbying effort in the United States without required disclosures. The information emerged through an investigation by the independent outlet Prism. The probe tracked payments, filings, and the structure behind the campaign.
Prism reported that the RSS used an intermediary to hire Squire Patton Boggs, a major Washington lobbying firm. The firm received 330,000 dollars during the first nine months of 2025. It listed US India bilateral relations as its focus area. The filing was made under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, which is a lighter regulatory framework meant for domestic clients. The law requires much less transparency. Experts say this weakens oversight.
The RSS is a foreign organisation. It influences politics in India and promotes an ideology that targets Muslims. Analysts say the group’s work in the US should fall under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a law that governs foreign lobbying. No filings under this law exist for the RSS. Records show no registration by the lobbying firm or any related entity.
Experts warn that the RSS gains more room to influence US lawmakers through this gap. FARA forces disclosures of meetings and contacts. LDA does not. The omission hides details of outreach on Capitol Hill. Scholars also point to past violations by Hindu nationalist groups in the US. OFBJP USA was forced to register as a foreign agent in 2020 after similar issues.
The payments, filings and denials by RSS officials now raise questions about transparency and influence. The group is expanding its outreach abroad at a time when Muslims in India face increased hostility. The investigation places new attention on how foreign political groups use American lobbying pathways with limited public oversight.
