A video of a press conference by a group under the name of “Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh” is being shared on social media with the false claim that the Mohan Bhagwat-led organisation has extended its support to the opposition I.N.D.I.A alliance and the Congress against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. BOOM found that the group, which shares the same name as Bhagwat’s RSS is not affiliated with it.
The Mohan Bhagwat-led RSS is the ideological parent of the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several BJP ministers spent their formative years in the RSS.
In the 2.20 minute-long video, a man named Janardan Moon, president of the organisation, states that they have decided to support the I.N.D.I.A alliance against the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.
The video was posted on X by the handle Rahul Kajal INC (@RahulKajalRG) with the caption, “Big News.. Please make this viral. RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) supported INDIA alliance across the country, Appealed to Sanghis across the country to vote in favor of INDIA alliance. Sangh shouted, overthrow Modi government.”
The same video was also posted by the X handle of East Bangalore Congress Sevadal (@Sevadaleblr). The translated caption reads, “Country and Constitution have to be saved, Modi has to be removed: RSS.”
Fact check
BOOM discovered that the group in the viral video, which held a press conference to extend support to the I.N.D.I.A alliance, is not associated with the Mohan Bhagwat-led RSS, as claimed in social media posts. Further investigation revealed that the president of the group, Janardan Moon, runs another group named RSS in Nagpur and attempted to register his organisation with that name, as per news reports.
We found a 2019 article in The Times of India about the Bombay High Court rejecting Moon’s plea to register his NGO under the name of RSS. The High Court had also noted that there is already a society, that exists by the same name, whereas Moon had contended that the RSS was not registered with the charity commissioner and had requested allotment of the name to his society.
Additionally, we also found the original video uploaded on the YouTube channel, Aawaz India, posted on 24 March, 2024, with the title: “RSS supports Congress, creates uproar across the country | PC of RSS Chief Janardan Moon, Abdul Pasha”. The translated caption reads, “For those who are wondering how RSS supported the INDIA alliance, let us tell you that there are two RSSs in the country, one is online REGISTERED which has supported Congress, and the other is UNREGISTERD whose Sarsanghchalak is Mohan Bhagwat. Please be careful not to get confused. Nagpur; RSS gave unconditional support to INDIA Alliance.”
Also, on viewing the viral video, we found that the logo of Moon’s organisation is different from Mohan Bhagwat’s RSS.
BOOM reached out to Moon who also dismissed the viral claim, confirming that his organisation is not affiliated to Mohan Bhagwat-led RSS. “Our organisation is different from the RSS organisation led by Mohan Bhagwat.” Organiser Weekly, which is the official mouthpiece of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh also posted on X on 26 March, 2024, calling the Moon’s RSS fake.
This story was originally published by Boom Live, as part of the Shakti Collective. Except for the headline, excerpt and introduction para, this story has not been edited by ThePrint staff.