In a sharp political twist just hours after Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge threatened to impose a fresh ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) if the Congress returns to power at the Centre, the RSS on Tuesday (July 1) shared visuals showing his father, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, attending an RSS event in 2002.
The 37-second video clip, though of low quality, appears to show Kharge, who was then Karnataka’s Home Minister in the S.M. Krishna-led Congress government, participating in a peace conference organised by the RSS in Nagawara, Bengaluru on January 25–27, 2002. Alongside Kharge, the event was attended by prominent figures, including then Karnataka cabinet minister Roshan Baig and former Bengaluru city police commissioner H.T. Sangliana.
The footage, accompanied by photographs and an official message shared by RSS representatives, was circulated among media persons on July 1. The message read: “Many prominent figures, including Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, attended the peace conference of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) held in Nagwara, Bengaluru on 25, 26, 27 January 2002.” In the video, an individual addressing the gathering can be heard referring to Kharge as a “Sangh admirer.”
Priyank Kharge’s Attack on RSS
Earlier on the same day, Kharge’s son Priyank Kharge, who serves as a minister in the Karnataka government and is known for his vocal criticism of the Sangh, reignited controversy by accusing the RSS of systematically trying to undermine and rewrite the Indian Constitution.
Speaking to reporters, Priyank stated, “RSS has always tried to alter the Constitution. It was banned before and lifting that ban was Congress’s mistake. They had then pleaded that they would not engage in anti-national activities.”
When questioned if the Congress, if voted to power, would consider banning the RSS again, Priyank replied, “We will see. It won’t be the first time they will be banned, right?”
His remarks came on the heels of statements by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, who recently called for a re-examination of the inclusion of the words “socialist” and “secular” in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, terms added during the Emergency era under Indira Gandhi’s leadership.
Taking the debate further to social media, Priyank lashed out at both the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of hypocrisy. “RSS leaders have long pushed to erase the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ from our Constitution. Now BJP leaders are parroting the same demand, conveniently ignoring the fact that the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld their inclusion as integral to the Constitution’s spirit,” Priyank posted on X.
What did Datta Ji said?
“Fifty years have passed since the Emergency, and many times on June 25 and 26, programmes have been organised discussing the truths of the Emergency, its background, and how it ended. But now, two generations have passed since then, it’s not their fault that they don’t know about it. For us, Emergency is a memory. In a democratic country like Bharat, there was a violation of Fundamental Rights. This is a part of Bharat’s history, and every generation should be told about it. Otherwise, programmes on June 25 and 26 will remain mere memorial days. That is why those who witnessed it talk about its dangers and what all happened”, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale, while addressing an event organised by Hindustan Samachar News Agency on the 50 years of Emergency on June 26 at the Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
“Indira Gandhi (the then Prime Minister), in order to save her power, compromised with democracy. She lost the ground in three places — first, in the case against Raj Narain where the Court ruled that she could no longer remain an MP; second, in Gujarat, where Janta Front won and Congress lost, meaning a defeat in elections; and third, the mass movement across the country started by youth. In Gujarat, slogans like ‘Jeet Hamari Hai, Ab Bihar Ki Baari Hai’ were raised. Students demanded strict action against corruption, inflation, they also demanded election reform, and study reform. After the Emergency ended, these demands were taken forward by those involved in the movement. Now NEP 2020 has come. In 2000, on the 50th year of the Constitution, reform debates were held across the country. Debates were held on administrative reforms, because the system was a legacy of the British Raj. Seminars were held on electoral reforms and judicial reforms. The purpose of remembering Emergency was to carry forward such issues and these people did it”, he said.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi, Dattatreya Hosabale said, “Those who imposed Emergency roam around with copies of the Constitution, but they have not apologised till today. They must apologise. One lakh people went to jail. Sixty lakh were forcibly sterilised. Judiciary was weakened. If their ancestors did this, then they must apologise in their name”.
Hosabaleji informed that during the Emergency, two words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ were added to the Constitution, which were not part of the original Preamble. “Later, these words were not removed, and there was no debate on this. Debates whether these words should remain or not must be held. These two words were not in Dr Ambedkar’s Constitution. During the Emergency, the country had no functioning Parliament, no rights, no judiciary and yet these two words were added. That is why this matter must be discussed”, he said.
Politics Over Ban and Constitution Heats Up
The exchange has added fresh fuel to the already polarised political atmosphere in Karnataka and at the national level, where debates around secularism, the role of the RSS, and the sanctity of the Constitution continue to dominate political narratives.
The resurfacing of Mallikarjun Kharge’s 2002 appearance at an RSS event has added a new layer of complexity to the Congress party’s sharp stance against the Sangh Parivar, reviving discussions around past political accommodations versus present ideological confrontations.
The BJP, meanwhile, has seized the opportunity to highlight the Congress’s perceived “double standards,” accusing it of political opportunism. Congress, on the other hand, is likely to face uncomfortable questions over reconciling its past associations with its present-day attacks on the Sangh.
The controversy shows no signs of slowing down as both sides dig in their heels ahead of upcoming electoral battles.
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