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Kharge's son vs RSS in Karnataka: From ban demand to ‘Taliban’ jibe
BJP on Sunday hit out at Congress Priyank Kharge for seeking a ban on RSS, sharing an old photo of his father Mallikarjun Kharge at a Shakha camp.
Leaders of Karnataka Congress, Priyank Kharge and Yathindra Siddaramaiah in particular, have stirred a controversy over their comments on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), prompting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to counter with an old photo of Mallikarjun Kharge from a visit to the RSS camp.
Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son, sought a ban on RSS activities in government institutions in the state while state chief minister Siddaramaiah's son Yathidra likened the RSS to the Taliban.
What did the two Karnataka leaders say on RSS
Karnataka's minister of rural development and panchayat raj, Priyank Kharge has written to chief minister Siddaramaiah seeking a statewide ban on activities of the RSS - BJP's ideological mentor - in government institutions and public spaces, arguing that the organisation’s ideology contradicts the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
In his letter, written on October 4 and made pubic by the chief minister’s office (CMO) on Sunday, Priyank Kharge alleged that the RSS has been conducting shakhas and gatherings in government and aided schools, as well as on public grounds, where he said “slogans are shouted and negative ideas are instilled in the minds of children and youth.”
Priyank Kharge described the RSS’s belief system as “contrary to India’s ideals of unity and secular framework.”
“When divisive forces that sow hatred among the people raise their heads, our Constitution, founded on the core principles of integrity, equality, and unity, grants us the authority to curb such elements and uphold the secular values of the nation,” an earlier HT report quoted lines from Priyank Kharge's letter.
Priyank Kharge also claimed that the organisation was conducting aggressive drills without police permission and that such displays “could have a harmful psychological impact on children and young people.”
Seeking government's intervention, Priyank Kharge urged the chief minister to prohibit all RSS activities, including shakhas, sanghiks, and baithaks, across government-controlled spaces such as schools, public parks, temples under the Muzrai Department, as well as at archaeological sites.
Later, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Karnataka chief minister's son, equated the RSS with “Taliban mindset”.
"They [the RSS] have a similar mindset to that of the Taliban... they believe that in one religion only one view should be there. The Taliban issues diktats so Islam can be one particular way... they curtail freedom of women. Similarly, RSS also wants Hindu religion in one way only," an NDTV report translated Yathindra Siddaramaiah's response to media queries in Kannada as saying.
BJP slams remarks
To counter Priyank Kharge, the BJP on Sunday shared an old picture of his father Mallikarjun Kharge at what it said was an RSS camp, saying the now Congress president “appreciated the RSS's social service activities, and extended full cooperation” back then.
"Today, you're saying that the Sangh's activities, which spread poison against the RSS, "should be banned." But have you forgotten that in 2002, during the Samarasata Sangama program held at Nagavara in Bengaluru, your father Mallikarjun Kharge, who was the Home Minister at the time, personally visited that camp, appreciated the RSS's social service activities, and extended full cooperation?" the BJP Karnataka unit said in a post on X and got a “dimwits” jibe in response from Priyank Kharge.
Karnataka MLA and BJP leader CT Ravi accused the Congress party of "supporting terrorism" and "eliminating patriotism", saying an organisation like the RSS espouses the values of nationalism and service to the nation.
"RSS teaches values of patriotism, nationalism and service. Everyone should be united, and keep aside caste and other differences, that is what it teaches. Taliban is a terrorist organisation. There is a huge difference between terrorism and patriotism. Congress supports terrorists and tries to eliminate patriotism. The culture of Taliban is within Congress, not within RSS", Ravi told ANI news agency in Bengaluru.
