WASHINGTON D.C. / NEW DELHI_The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological backbone of India’s Hindu nationalist politics, is now at the center of a heated controversy in Washington after reports revealed a covert RSS lobbying campaign aimed at influencing US lawmakers. The investigation, carried out by independent media outlet Prism, shows that the RSS quietly hired the powerful lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs through an intermediary without transparently registering itself as a foreign entity. Despite denials from RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambekar, financial records and disclosures indicate that the RSS lobbying efforts in Washington have already cost more than $330,000 in 2025 alone.
A Century-Old Hindutva Machine Expands Abroad
The RSS, founded nearly a century ago and historically modeled on fascist movements in Europe, holds immense political power in India through its affiliates, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Critics accuse the RSS of driving anti-Muslim narratives, supporting discriminatory policies, and fueling communal tensions across India. Under Modi, who rose from RSS ranks, Hindutva ideology has intensified, and attacks against Indian Muslims have grown. The RSS lobbying push in the United States appears to be an extension of this expanding ideological assertiveness. Recent RSS-linked rallies held across the US aimed to rebrand the group as a force for cultural unity and community service rather than a movement accused of hate and historical violence.
This shift became most visible in September 2025 when the RSS celebrated its 100th anniversary and attempted to reposition itself internationally, promoting outreach, humanitarian branding, and now, strategic RSS lobbying in Washington.
Legal Grey Zones
The core of the controversy lies in how the RSS lobbying was registered. Squire Patton Boggs filed its activities under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), a framework designed largely for domestic US clients. However, analysts argue that the RSS, an India-based organization with political influence and ideological objectives, should have been registered under the more stringent Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Filing under FARA would have forced the RSS lobbying efforts into full public view, requiring detailed disclosures about meetings, funding, and direction from foreign leaders.
Prism’s investigation found that neither Squire Patton Boggs nor any associated group listed the RSS under FARA. Instead, the paperwork lists One+ Strategies, the intermediary firm, as the official client, effectively shielding the RSS from public scrutiny. Analysts describe this as a loophole that enables foreign influence without transparency. Ben Freeman of the Quincy Institute stated that registering under LDA allows this “influence campaign to operate in the shadows,” since FARA filings would have revealed exactly how the RSS lobbying team was engaging with US policymakers.
Diaspora Politics, Diplomatic Tensions, and Strategic Rebranding
The RSS lobbying campaign also coincides with a period of tension in the India–US relationship. President Donald Trump’s recent tariffs and public criticism of India’s economic performance have damaged New Delhi’s standing in Washington. At the same time, controversies related to Kashmir, India’s citizenship laws, and human rights have sharpened global scrutiny of India’s domestic policies. The RSS lobbying appears to be a calculated attempt to rebuild influence in Washington while bypassing reputational obstacles and the stigma attached to overt political lobbying.
Diaspora outreach has become a key pillar of this strategy. RSS-affiliated groups in the US have held large-scale public events and rallies, attempting to energize Hindu nationalist sentiment within the Indian-American community. The RSS lobbying in Washington, therefore, represents a transition from grassroots mobilization to elite political influence, marking a major escalation in the organization’s global strategy.
A Pattern of Underreported Political Influence
This is not the first time Hindu nationalist organizations have skirted US lobbying laws. In 2020, the Overseas Friends of the BJP-USA was forced to register as a foreign agent after publicly campaigning for India’s ruling party. Analysts say the RSS lobbying case fits into a wider pattern in which Hindu nationalist groups attempt to influence US policy while avoiding the strict transparency required under FARA. Legal scholars argue that the RSS, given its political and ideological prominence in India, clearly qualifies as a foreign entity whose RSS lobbying campaign should have been declared under FARA.
James Thurber, a leading expert on US lobbying regulations, notes that the RSS lobbying activities “fall squarely within FARA rules” and should have been filed accordingly. Avoiding FARA filings gives the RSS greater flexibility and less oversight, raising concerns about unmonitored foreign influence inside the US political system.
A Growing Debate Over Foreign Influence and Ideological Expansion
The revelations have sparked a new debate in Washington about the risks of foreign ideological groups influencing US lawmakers without transparency. Analysts warn that covert RSS lobbying efforts could distort policy discussions, especially on sensitive issues such as India–US relations, human rights, and religious freedoms. In an era where concerns over foreign interference from Russia, China, Gulf states, and others dominate public discourse, the RSS lobbying case adds a new and contentious player to the conversation.
For a group linked to majoritarian politics, communal tensions, and widespread criticism at home, its unregistered political expansion into Washington raises difficult questions. Without full disclosures, the American public cannot know the extent of RSS lobbying meetings, messaging, or political influence.
What appears on paper as a “clerical oversight” is, in reality, a strategically crafted effort to shape American politics while avoiding public responsibility.
