Minorities all are feeling like second-grade citizens, says Priyank Kharge

Karnataka RDPR minister Priyank Kharge backed Rahul Gandhi's “What is happening to Muslims in India today” statement and said minorities are feeling insecure.

Published on: May 31, 2023, 17:14:26 IST

By Yamini C S

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Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge on Wednesday said minorities including Dalits, tribals, SC/STs and other backward classes are feeling like second-grade citizens in India.

Priyank Kharge, son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, on Wednesday backed Rahul Gandhi's statements over minority oppression.

“Don't you feel that minorities, Dalits and tribals are feeling insecure? SCs, STs, backwards, and minorities all are feeling like second-grade citizens in the country,” the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RDPR) minister said.

“Kindly have a look at what happened in Manipur, kindly have a look at what happened in Karnataka recently, with the Azan ban, jhatka cut and other issues that the BJP brought up,” he added.

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This comes shortly after senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statements on alleged discrimination faced by Muslims in the country today. Gandhi was speaking at the 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' event in San Francisco, when he said, “What is happening to Muslims in India today, happened to Dalits in 1980s.”

"It is being felt by the Muslims most directly because it is done most directly to them. But in fact, it is done to all communities. The way you (Muslims) are feeling attacked, I can guarantee Sikhs, Christians, Dalits, and tribals are feeling the same. You can't cut hatred with hatred., but only with love and affection," He said.

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These statements were met with much rebuttal from the BJP, with numerous ministers saying Gandhi has “defamed” the country. Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Modi even said Muslims are the most secure and safe under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime "than ever" in the past.

“Muslims in the country have equally been beneficiaries of the various welfare schemes ranging from free LPG connections to toilets with Prime Minister Modi’s government functioning with a ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ vision,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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