Overview

American Dream took the form of the United States of America 250 years ago. It was founded on American values.

RSS was founded 100 years ago to revive the eternal human values embodied in the land of the Vedas - India.

The friendship between the US and India - the world’s largest and oldest democracies, biggest and strongest economies, most diverse, vibrant, populated demographies - has the potential to serve as the bedrock of the 21st Century World Order.

Amid recent visits of political and social leaders of both countries, and ongoing efforts of the peoples, the organisations and the governments, disruptive, subtle and egregious, fake narratives keep on floating each moment.

RSS is in the eye of this leftist political storm in the US for a couple of years.

US and RSS - The Concentric Spheres of Cultural and Philosophical Value Systems

Indian philosophy is the most ancient philosophy of the world and is based on fundamentals of existence. Vedas happen to be the first scriptures with divinity embedded in the Mantras. So it is always likely to impress humankind everywhere. In fact, it is open and inclusive, always addresses all human beings and never discriminates between human beings of different denominations. It doesn't believe in “proselytisation”; it has neither ever invaded any nation nor it has enslaved other people. It is rooted in truth, non-violence, oneness and peace. RSS impressing anyone anywhere is in the interest of global peace. RSS is committed to the Mantra that the whole world is one family.

Faith, Family, Nation, Culture, Democracy, Freedom, Liberty and Opposition to Exclusivist Jihadi - Communist Nexus connect the American Dream of American Founders with the Value System of Indic Philosophy of Ancient Indian Sages. India / RSS organisations and US / American Nationalist Organisations have Concentric Spheres of Cultural and Philosophical Confluence.

It was precisely for this reason that Swami Vivekananda and many other proponents of Indian Philosophy landed up and worked in the US, with divine faith in the people and their value systems and left a profound and lasting impact.

Similarly, the American founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams and later Abraham Lincoln, Dr Martin Luther King Jr and others respected India and Indian Value Systems. Emerson and Thoreau appreciated Indic Philosophy.

Mahatma Gandhi wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt with an expression of his deep personal connection to America, "I twice missed coming to your great country... I have profited greatly by the writings of Thoreau and Emerson."

As a classical Indic Organisation, RSS is fully committed to non-violence as an Indian value, as a human value preached by the Vedic Philosophy and Sanatan Dharma. It may be recalled here that RSS morning prayers include paying respects to Gandhiji.

Based on this confluence of value systems, the US-India relationship is viewed as the Human Bridge between the East and the West. Open democracies and open societies welcome good thoughts from everywhere. The Vedic adage goes: "Let noble thoughts come to us from all directions".

The US and RSS - In the eye of “Political” and “Strategic” Storm of Narratives

Though the US-India relationship is rooted in common values as stated above, serial fake narratives are being floated and spread by leftist, communist and Jihadi forces to break and to destroy this relationship.

Proponents of the US-India relationship counter such fake narratives by providing facts-based, correct information to the US and Indian leadership and people, to avoid adverse impact on US-India relations.

Here we shall critically examine two recent allegations.

Did RSS give money to Some Politicians in the US?

A recent misleading narrative circulated widely post Dr Mohan Bhagwat’s US visit is about “certain political leaders” in the US rejecting and returning “RSS money” received as political funding.

On Aug 29, 2026, Dr Mohan Bhagwat spoke at Madison Square Garden, New York. On Aug 31, 2026, two leftist US-based groups - Hindus for Human Rights Action and SACRED Acts (South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy Acts) announced a pledge (reportedly signed by ∼90 US politicians) that says: Refuse donations linked to the “anti-democratic” RSS and its affiliates. Return or redirect such contributions.

Signatories include Reps Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Robin Kelly out of 535 federal lawmakers, in addition to federal and local candidates like Abdul El-Sayed from eight states out of 50+ American states and territories. Most of them are left-leaning or Islamic individuals or representatives from immigrant / woke / Muslim dominated constituencies.

It is clear to all, including these two outfits and these 90 individuals - RSS has not given, RSS does not give and can not give money to US politicians.

US law 52 U.S.C. 30121 bans any foreign national from contributing to US federal/state elections. If RSS Nagpur wired money to a US campaign, it would be a federal crime for both sides - giving as well as receiving.

But such highly and patently false narratives are circulated misleadingly and widely.

RSS works only in Bharat and has not engaged itself in funding US politicians. It is not in its domain, agenda or mission per se. RSS itself is funded through “Guru Dakshina” from Swayamsevaks; it has no institutional or foreign funding, nor does it fund anyone overseas. It is an unregistered social-cultural mass organisation. So what "RSS-linked money" are they talking about? Not money from RSS headquarters or from India. Maybe, they mean donations from US citizens of Indian origin or otherwise who are perceived as RSS sympathisers/donors to “RSS-values inspired but completely autonomous US charities” like HSS, Sewa International, etc.

So when leftist Ro Khanna said he would donate away a $6,600 contribution he "recently discovered from a pro-MAGA billionaire with ties to the RSS", it is very clear that he referred to a US person, not RSS.

The “pledge” of these left-leaning or Jehadi individuals is a political stunt.

So called RSS “affiliates” in the US (HSS-USA, Sewa International USA, Ekal Vidyalaya USA, etc.) are IRS 501(c)(3) charities. Charity Organisations or corporations organised and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, and scientific purposes, with no part of earnings to private benefit, cannot participate in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate. They cannot give any money to any PAC (political action committee, even if it is a 501(c)(4) floated PAC) or political candidate. If they do, the IRS revokes status. HSS, etc. cannot be a PAC, and a PAC like USIRC cannot be a 501(c)(3). They are mutually exclusive legal structures. So HSS USA cannot write a cheque to Abdul El-Sayed, Ro Khanna or Pramila Jayapal even if it wanted to.

Who CAN give money to US politicians?

Only US citizens / Green Card holders as individuals, max $3,500 per candidate per election for the 2025-26 cycle, or their registered PACs.

PACs like USIRC are not charities, not under IRS 501(c)(3) and don't have tax-exempt charity status under the Act called the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Title 26 of US Code), Section: 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3), Regulation: 26 CFR § 1.501(c)(3)-1, which is administered by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), Department of the Treasury.

Now suppose a PAC gets inspired by RSS values; no law can or should prevent such inspiration in a democracy, until it is inimical or violent or anti-human or anti-truth or spreads hate in any way. RSS has no foreign branch - HSS in the US is an autonomous US-registered 501(c)(3) non-profit since 1989.

The legal route for Indian / Hindu Americans to do political giving is through PACs or as American individual citizens or green card holders. Not through RSS or even HSS. So, when they say "RSS-linked money", legally it can only be a US citizen individual donor who may attend an HSS Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh “shakha” or donate to Sewa International. Hindu Americans are as much free to follow, preach and propagate their Dharma as others are for their religions. Hindu Dharma is not banned in the US. It is anti-democratic to vilify Hindu Americans or to deny them their political rights.

The headline "90 US leaders reject RSS money" creates the impression that RSS Nagpur was funding US campaigns. Legally and factually, that is impossible, incorrect and misleading.

Did RSS hire a lobbying agency?

Another allegation months back was about RSS hiring an advocacy agency for lobbying in the US.

On Nov 13, 2025, when Indian opposition leader Jairam Ramesh alleged - based on a US Senate LDA (Lobbying Disclosure Act 1995) filing - that RSS had hired US law firm Squire Patton Boggs (which also lobbies for Pakistan) for $330,000 to "introduce RSS to US officials", RSS officially stated: "Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh works in Bharat and has not engaged any lobbying firm in the United States of America."

Let us go for a reality check from the US system itself.

This lobbying was obviously not registered under FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) 1938. FARA is for foreign principals and requires DoJ (Department of Justice) approval. LDA is domestic lobbying. Firms clearly did not file under FARA, filed only under LDA, which indicates they were not claiming to be agents of a foreign principal. But they together did a gaffe in filing. March 2025 filing by Squire Patton Boggs: Client: STATE STREET STRATEGIES (DBA ONE+ STRATEGIES) OBO RASHTRIYA SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH. Plus Line: "Entity contributing >$5,000: Vivek Sharma". This error was Amended - Dec 2025 filing: Client: STATE STREET STRATEGIES (DBA ONE+ STRATEGIES) OBO Vivek Sharma. Vivek Sharma is not a political operative, he is a pharma executive based in Acton, MA, US. He was listed as a contributing entity >$5,000; this is one who "participates in and/or supervises" the lobbying. He was the funder/supervisor, not just a donor.

The Senate Office of Public Records accepted the amendment, and it is now the active filing on the site under LDA rules. Enforcement is by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia + Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit. If someone files false information, they can be fined up to $200,000 or 5 years in jail, but only if the DOJ investigates.

SPB filed an Amended LD-1 on Dec 29, 2025, and put Termination Date: Sept 30, 2025. LDA allows retroactive amendment. They also filed LD-2 quarterly expense reports till termination date. Q1 $120k, Q2 $100k, Q3 $110k. No Q4, because the contract was terminated Sept 30, end of Q3. No more disclosures required.

What happened with that contribution?

2025 was RSS centenary year (1925-2025). It seems US-based enthusiastic well-wisher Vivek Sharma and his “mentors” wanted to "educate US influencers about RSS mission and impact". (That is the line lobbyist firm’s Bradford Ellison used in an email to Audrey Truschke of Rutgers in Jan 2025. That was also a gaffe, because Truschke in her return email had asked about FARA status of this lobbying but got no reply from the lobbyist.)

Out of enthusiasm, they hired One+ Strategies (Robert and Bill Shuster's firm). One+, subcontracted Squire Patton Boggs SP - one of the biggest lobbying and law firms in Washington, DC - 1,500 lawyers; they lobby for everyone - Qatar, Saudi, Palau etc. SBP was lobbying for the Pakistan govt via another firm, Orchid Advisers, at the same time - $125k/month contract.

In June 2025, the SPB/One+ team visited Nagpur HQ, attended an RSS training camp - RSS Weekly Organiser called it "a significant moment in Indo-US civil society engagement." This was a 5-member US delegation:

1.  Bill Shuster - Former Republican Congressman, Pennsylvania, 2001-2019, ex-Chair of the House Transportation Committee. Now a lobbyist at Squire Patton Boggs.

2.  Bob Shuster (Robert Shuster) - Bill's brother, Founding Partner of One+ Strategies / State Street Strategies. The firm that actually signed the contract.

3.  Bradford Ellison - Associate at Squire Patton Boggs, ex-lobbyist for South Korea and Ethiopia.

4.  Walter Russell Mead - Wall Street Journal columnist, Fellow at Hudson Institute (conservative think tank).

5.  Bill Drexel - Fellow at Hudson Institute, US-India specialist.

Rebekah Sungala (Bill Shuster's former aide) and Ludmilla Kasulke (SPB partner) were also on the LDA filing as lobbyists.

Sensing this loose ball, Leftist media broke this in a sensational way in Nov 2025; leftist opposition in India attacked - Jairam Ramesh twisted and said "RSS hired Pakistan's lobbying arm, betrayed national interest."

How patently false and misleading this was! It was only an enthusiastic initiative to give RSS exposure to lobbyists in DC at the RSS centenary. It is amply clear that RSS didn't hire any lobbyist in the US.

Conclusion

Let us be ready for more such fake egregious allegations from desperate anti-democratic forces as the two powerful democracies, the US and India, come together. These fake narratives are but a testimony to the importance of growing US-India relationship based on common denominators and values.