RSS, patron of Hindu extremism, seeks foothold in US politics through lobbying firm

WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) — India’s largest Hindu nationalist organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has launched a well-funded lobbying campaign in the United States for the first time, according to a new investigation by Prism.

Prism is a California-based independent and nonprofit news outlet that produces in-depth investigation reports.

The report reveals that Squire Patton Boggs, one of the most prominent lobbying firms in Washington, registered on Jan. 16 to represent the RSS. Lobbying disclosures show that the firm received $330,000 during the first three quarters of 2025 to lobby members of the U.S. Congress on “U.S.-India bilateral relations.”

The registration marks the first time the RSS — widely seen by human rights groups as a far-right, paramilitary-style organization promoting Hindu supremacy — has sought formal lobbying representation in Washington.

However, the move has drawn scrutiny from legal experts, who say the firm’s filings under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) may violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a law requiring agents representing foreign interests to disclose detailed information about their activities.

“Registering under the LDA and not FARA really keeps this influence campaign in the shadows,” said Ben Freeman, a foreign influence researcher at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

“We really don’t have much idea at all about what they’re doing for the RSS.”

The RSS, founded in 1925, is the ideological parent of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Prime Minister Narendra Modi was himself an RSS worker before entering politics.

Experts and human rights groups have long accused the organization and its affiliates of promoting Islamophobia and targeting religious minorities.

Public records show that Squire Patton Boggs listed State Street Strategies, doing business as One+ Strategies, as its client — acting “on behalf of the RSS.”

Four lobbyists, including former Republican congressman Bill Shuster, were named in the filings.

The disclosures came as the RSS celebrated its centenary this year. Prism reported that Shuster and other lobbyists attended RSS events in India, including a visit to its headquarters in Nagpur.

Experts sound alarm

Raqib Hameed Naik, founder of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate in Washington, said the lobbying effort reflects an attempt by the RSS to rebrand its global image.

“The RSS might have become a mainstream force in Indian politics, but globally it is still seen as a fascist paramilitary group,” he said. “What they’re trying to do right now is invest in changing the perception of policymakers.”

Experts who reviewed the documents told Prism that the RSS clearly qualifies as a foreign entity under FARA. “What matters is who the ultimate client is,” Freeman explained.

“And the ultimate client here is the RSS, which is a foreign entity.”

Neither Squire Patton Boggs nor the RSS responded to requests for comment.

The report also places the RSS’s lobbying in the context of broader Hindu nationalist influence-building in the U.S.

In 2020, the Overseas Friends of BJP-USA registered as a foreign agent after years of campaigning for the BJP.

Analysts warn that the RSS’s new lobbying campaign could deepen concerns about foreign political influence in Washington.

“Documentation of a century of their activities is literally available to anyone,” Naik said. “No amount of lobbying can erase that history.”