In a 1999 interview, Javed Anand said that before the 1999 Lok Sabha elections Communalism Combat requested and received funds from the Congress Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India and ten individuals to run advertisements attacking the Sangh Parivar and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
His criticism of religious fundamentalism, and his airing of concern over the 'hijacking' of religious figures such as Mata Amritanandamayi, has led to severe criticism of his writing by the organizations of the Sangh Parivar.
Hailing from Puttur in Coastal Karnataka, Shobha became associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh at a very early age, one of the few women full-time workers of the Sangh parivar.