"RSS Start Funding the US’s @SriPKulkarni " is an important story, by @FriedrichPieter. The following thread quotes the highlights of the story he broke. Link to the original story.
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1. "Ramesh Bhutada, Vice-President of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA — the American wing of India’s fascist RSS paramilitary — as well as President of the HSS’s Southwest Division, is a key donor, fundraiser, and campaigner for Kulkarni."
2. " @SriPKulkarni describe one of the RSS’s top men in America as “like my father.” And the $50,000+ donated to his campaign by the Bhutada family over two election cycles obviously indicates that they have a huge financial interest in seeing him elected."
3. "in the first 70 days, ... of Kulkarni’s campaign in 2018, 40% of his donations came from 23 individuals who are clearly identifiable as affiliated with the American Sangh. Accounting for individuals who have not yet been investigated... that figure rises to fifty percent."
4. A summary of those who donated:
"Kulkarni had only been raising funds for a month and he had only collected approximately $19,000 for his campaign when the Bhutada family first began donating."
"Kulkarni had only been raising funds for a month and he had only collected approximately $19,000 for his campaign when the Bhutada family first began donating."
5. "Ramesh, his wife, and his son, and his son’s wife gave nearly $11,000 over less than two weeks. They were among the first 40 people who donated to the campaign."
6. "Ramesh Bhutada’s brother-in-law, Jugal Malani, and his wife both gave. Bhutada’s cousin-in-law, Vijay Pallod, and his wife, and son all gave. Subhash Gupta, President of the Houston chapter of HSS, gave."
7. "Dev Mahajan is a long-time associate of the Bhutadas and.. was involved in a 2014 celebration of Modi’s election which hosted Global Indians for Bharat Vikas, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America vehicle set up in Sep 2013 to organize NRI support for Modi’s election."
8. "In total, since 2018, the Mahajans have donated nearly $15,000."
8. "Amit Bhandari.. prominent businessman who provided much funding for the $2.4 million “Howdy Modi” bonanza which was primarily organized by the Bhutadas and their extended family."
9."He is also a heavy financier of the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation. Developed by the VHP, Ekal is a controversial “single-teacher school” project in which the teachers are, reportedly, “selected only if they subscribe to the RSS way of thought.”
10. "In total, since 2018, the Bhandaris have donated nearly $14,000."
9. "Vivek Kavadi, a prominent local doctor and apologist for the BJP, donated."
10. "Subroto Gangopadhyay...activist with Overseas Friends of the BJP who, at a 2017 event celebrating the BJP’s victory in Indian state elections, praised newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a positive example of “monumental changes.”
11. "Notably, at almost exactly the same time, Amnesty International issued a statement warning that Adityanath is “given to hateful rhetoric that incites discrimination and hostility against minority groups, particularly Muslims.”
