Indian influencer detained after criticizing Hindu supremacist RSS
Police seized social media creator's phone after video accused Hindutva outfit RSS of spreading hatred, triggering free speech debate
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A social media influencer in India’s Rajasthan state has been detained after posting a video critical of the Hindutva group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), reigniting concerns over free expression and the shrinking space for political dissent under governments aligned with the Hindu supremacist movement.
Naveen Payal, 25, who regularly posts commentary on social and political issues on Instagram, was taken into custody by police in Jhunjhunu district after sharing a video that described the RSS as sowing “seeds of hatred” among children. Police also seized his mobile phone, according to opposition leaders and local media reports.
The video reportedly showed an RSS shakha — a daily gathering where members participate in physical drills and ideological activities — on one side of a field while children played sports nearby. Payal criticized the organization’s influence on young people, prompting police action that quickly became a political controversy.
The RSS is a Hindu extremist organization founded in 1925 and is widely regarded as the ideological parent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The group has played a central role in promoting the concept of India as a Hindu-only nation and has long been accused by opponents and rights advocates of encouraging majoritarian politics and deepening religious polarization.
Leaders of the opposition Indian National Congress condemned the detention, arguing that expressing criticism of the RSS should not be treated as a criminal matter.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate questioned why sharing a video showing an RSS gathering and children on a playground had resulted in an arrest, accusing the organization of spreading hatred and division.
Congress leader and lawyer Ajay Sharma also defended the influencer, saying that if exposing the “true face” of the RSS amounted to a crime, party workers would continue to do so. He argued that confiscating phones could not silence public voices and insisted that speaking critically of influential organizations was a democratic right.
Girish Kumar Sharma, a senior official in the Rajasthan Congress’ social media wing, similarly questioned whether expressing opinions about the RSS could now lead to detention, accusing the state government of attempting to suppress criticism through intimidation.
The incident has renewed debate over freedom of expression in India, where journalists, activists, comedians, students and social media users have increasingly faced criminal complaints, arrests or investigations over online posts critical of the government or Hindutva politics.
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