New Delhi, February 16 (ANI): Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh commented on Om Birla representing India at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh PM-elect Tarique Rahman, calling it a reward from the Centre to Birla for not letting Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi speak in the house.

Speaking exclusively to ANI here, Singh said, 'Om Birla must have been rewarded by the government for not allowing the LoP to speak in the Lok Sabha. At the same time, now that a new government has been formed (in Bangladesh), the Indian government should go there and strongly raise the issue of the atrocities being committed against minority Hindus and end the tension there.'

This comes after the Ministry of External Affairs announced that the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will be representing India at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government of Bangladesh, led by Tarique Rahman, Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, in Dhaka on February 17.

Singh also backed Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge's remarks on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying the questions raised about its registration and funding were valid.

'His question is valid because the RSS hasn't been registered for a long time. Regarding the money issue, it's true that when electoral bonds were introduced, there was some kind of fraud. It evolved a certain party in such a way that a level playing field no longer existed,' he said.

Earlier, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge called the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a 'devil's shadow' and questioned the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) financial transparency and legal status.

Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, 'They're unregistered. They don't want to register. All I'm asking is to follow the law of the land. If you're an individual, that does not mean that you should not be registered. Which law says that? You should be registered. I'm asking how you're getting the donations? Where are you getting the donations from? Who is donating? How come you're running such large operations domestically and internationally, and you're still not paying taxes?'

Citing media reports, he further claimed, 'There is a huge article where they have traced where the money is coming from. More than 2,500 organisations are responsible for funding the RSS. So we're just asking how? In fact, this is the question that the Government of India should be asking.'

Referring to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, the Karnataka Minister added, 'The RSS runs on Guru Dakshina. But that means as per the RSS, the guru is the flag, the Bhagva Dhwaj is the flag, right? The Bhagva Dhwaj is their guru. So, Guru Dakshina, they are collecting in the name of the flag. Can I also do the same? Tomorrow I'll also put up a flag and say this is my guru, and I will collect Guru Dakshina on its name. See, in India, even in a temple, when somebody donates, that is audited. Are they above God? Are they above the law?'

Kharge also cited Bhagwat's past remarks linking the BJP's success to the RSS, stating, 'BJP is the devil's shadow. We need to start fighting with the devil. We need to get rid of the devil. Automatically these shadows will disappear.' (ANI)