New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture sanctioned Rs 63 lakh for the Sanatan Rashtra Shankhnad Mahotsav held in December 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, according to a Right to Information reply cited in a media report. The event, organised by Sanatan Sanstha at Ramnathi Village in Ponda, Goa, featured speeches calling for India to be declared a Hindu Rashtra and included remarks targeting Muslims.
The funding came under the commemoration of 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram. The ministry confirmed the grant amount. It stated that a detailed expenditure break up was not available.
The disclosure followed an RTI query filed as part of an investigation into networks spreading communal rhetoric. Reported speeches at the event included demands for removal of what speakers described as infiltrators among Muslims, calls for implementing the NRC, and proposals to cap Muslim population growth.
Sudarshan TV chief Suresh Chavhanke alleged that 25 percent of Muslims in India are infiltrators and urged action to remove them. BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay reportedly called for mass conversion of Muslims and suggested social and economic pressure to achieve it. Rahul Dewan of the Hindu Fund spoke about pursuing an offensive strategy for a constitutional Hindu Rashtra and made references invoking large scale violence.
The funding decision has drawn criticism. Questions have arisen over the use of public money for a programme where speakers called for demographic changes and removal of a community. Critics argue that taxpayer funds should align with constitutional values and social harmony.
The issue places focus on accountability in public spending and the responsibility of authorities when supporting large public events.
