Indian footprint in the US Capitol: RSS’s quiet campaign in Washington Article by TRT World

The far-right Hindu organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), long accused of promoting anti-Muslim violence in India, is reportedly quietly seeking to shape US policy through high-powered lobbying firms in Washington, raising questions over transparency and compliance with American laws.

According to an investigative report by the Turkish media outlet TRT World, the RSS, which serves as the ideological backbone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has embarked on its first major lobbying campaign in the United States. The group has spent substantial sums to engage top lobbying firms with the aim of influencing members of the US Congress, a move that has drawn scrutiny over whether required regulatory disclosures have been properly filed.

Independent media outlet Prism reported that the lobbying effort may have violated US disclosure rules. Sunil Ambekar, an RSS spokesperson, denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the organisation operates only in India and “has not engaged any lobbying firm” in the US.

What is the RSS?

Founded in 1925 as a paramilitary organisation inspired by European fascist movements, the RSS now functions through a vast network of affiliate groups spanning political, cultural, and religious spheres. It champions Hindutva, an ethno-nationalist ideology seeking to define India as an overtly Hindu nation. Critics link the RSS to violent attacks against Muslims, including the 1948 assassination of India’s founding father, Mahatma Gandhi, by a member opposed to Gandhi’s conciliatory stance toward Muslims.

The RSS also underpins Modi’s BJP, which has ruled India since 2014. Under Modi, attacks on Muslims, the destruction of their properties, and restrictions on their democratic rights have reportedly increased. Analysts note that the RSS’s ideology has contributed to the “othering” of India’s roughly 15 per cent Muslim population, portraying them as either descendants of historical invaders or misguided converts who must reclaim their Hindu heritage to regain full citizenship.

The shift toward US lobbying

On its centenary in September 2025, the RSS sought to improve its international image, portraying itself not as a source of hate but as a nation-building organisation providing schools, disaster relief, and cultural initiatives. To achieve this, the RSS engaged Washington-based law firm Squire Patton Boggs through intermediary One+ Strategies.

Squire Patton Boggs reportedly received $330,000 for its lobbying work for the RSS during the first nine months of 2025. In official filings under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), the firm listed “US-India bilateral relations” as the focus of its lobbying.

Experts argue that because the RSS is a foreign entity seeking to influence US lawmakers, its lobbying should have been registered under the stricter Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Avoiding FARA allows the RSS to operate without fully disclosing the nature and extent of its meetings with American policymakers. Prism confirmed that neither Squire Patton Boggs nor any other organisation involved has registered as an RSS agent under FARA.

In LDA filings, Squire Patton Boggs listed One+ Strategies as the client, omitting the foreign entity box, despite the RSS funding and directing the effort. Observers suggest that this procedural loophole grants the RSS greater freedom to lobby US officials without mandatory transparency.

Broader context

This lobbying initiative comes amid a period of tension in US-India relations. Compared with the Trump administration’s first term (2017–2021), India has faced challenges in Washington over the past year, including high tariffs and disputes over claims of US mediation in the India-Pakistan conflict.

Meanwhile, the Indian government continues to engage multiple FARA-compliant lobbying firms annually to manage its image and influence US policy through activities such as media relations and federal government outreach.