BENGALURU: A massive political storm has erupted in Karnataka after Minister Priyank Kharge wrote a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking a ban on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities in government spaces. The move has drawn sharp criticism from BJP leaders, who have accused Kharge of political immaturity, ignorance, and a deliberate attempt to appease the Gandhi family.
BJP’s Amit Malviya who is also the In-charge of BJP’s National Information & Technology Dept, showed the mirror to Priyank Kharge before spreading misinformation. Taking to X, Malviya said,”During the preparations for the RSS Samarasata Sangama held at Nagawara, Bengaluru, on January 25, 26, and 27, 2002 — the then Karnataka Home Minister, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge (father of Priyank Kharge, who now wants to ban RSS activities in the state) — along with other Congress ministers, visited the RSS campsite and appreciated the organisation’s social service activities.”
Little knowledge is dangerous.
During the preparations for the RSS Samarasata Sangama held at Nagawara, Bengaluru, on January 25, 26, and 27, 2002 — the then Karnataka Home Minister, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge (father of Priyank Kharge, who now wants to ban RSS activities in the… https://t.co/xAd0slwlCX pic.twitter.com/XycaBO2vbq
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 12, 2025
Leader of Opposition R Ashok lambasted Kharge’s move, reminding Congress of its repeated failures in the past. “The Congress tried to ban RSS three times, but even Indira Gandhi could not succeed. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and most of the governors are from the RSS. When the entire nation identifies with the Sangh’s values, what is the point of banning it?” Ashok questioned.
Minister @PriyankKharge avare,
Even with a commanding majority of 352 seats, your supreme leader @RahulGandhi’s grandmother Indira Gandhi couldn’t ban the RSS and its activities. And even with an unprecedented 414 seats, his father Rajiv Gandhi couldn’t do it either.
So, what… https://t.co/vffwgwDYva
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) October 12, 2025
He accused Congress of lacking national spirit, saying, “Congress leaders talk about banning RSS, but they don’t know the history of India. RSS has always stood for patriotism and service to the nation. It is an organisation that teaches love for the motherland, while Congress only loves votes.”
Ashok also condemned the government’s high-handedness in the ongoing DK Shivakumar–Muniratna row, claiming Congress had turned a state event into a political platform. “Local representatives were insulted and kept away from official functions. This shows the hooligan culture of the Congress government,” he said, asserting that BJP’s goal is to make India “Congress-free.”
Meanwhile, BJP state president BY Vijayendra came down heavily on Priyank Kharge, calling his letter “a display of political stupidity and ignorance.” Speaking to reporters, he said, “Those who know nothing about the history, discipline, or service of the RSS are the ones calling for its ban. The Congress party has tried and failed multiple times in the past. Even during the Emergency, Indira Gandhi could not suppress the RSS. What power does Priyank Kharge think he holds?”
Chorus and chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", resonated by both the young and the old from RSS shakhas, seem to have unnerved those used to hearing "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans!
Wazir-e-Ala @INCKarnataka government, having no issues with their brothers plotting bomb blasts from… pic.twitter.com/zLub6aLHUF
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) October 12, 2025
Vijayendra reminded Kharge that even the Congress government once recognized the RSS’s contributions during national crises. “During the India-China war, the Congress had invited the RSS to participate in the Republic Day parade, acknowledging its service to the nation. That same organisation is now being vilified by an immature minister,” he said.
The BJP state chief also accused Kharge of playing politics to please his party high command. “It seems Priyank Kharge has his eyes on the Chief Minister’s chair. This letter is nothing but a sycophantic gesture to gain favor with the Gandhi family. Instead of writing letters against RSS, he should focus on Kalaburagi — a district suffering from backwardness, illegal mining, and corruption. A contractor committed suicide there under his watch. If he works for his people, it will do more good to the state,” Vijayendra remarked.
Senior BJP leader C.T. Ravi also launched a blistering counterattack, calling Kharge’s letter “an assault on national values.” In a social media post, Ravi wrote, “Many who spent their lives spewing venom against the Sangh left this world with ulcers in their stomachs. Let us see what fate awaits Priyank Kharge.”
Ravi posed a series of pointed questions to Kharge: “Why should the RSS be banned? Is it a crime to instill patriotism in children? Is it unconstitutional to make them understand national unity? Why are you blind to the anti-national activities taking place in your own Kalaburagi district? When slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ were raised inside the Vidhan Soudha, why were you silent then?”
He further said, “Saying ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ is not treason, but opposing it certainly is. The RSS cannot be banned by those who don’t understand the soul of India. The organization has now reached every home, every heart. Even your predecessors who once hated the Sangh came to respect it eventually.”
ಮಾನ್ಯ ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ ಅವರೇ,
ಯಾಕಾಗಿ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಸ್ವಯಂಸೇವಕ ಸಂಘವನ್ನು ನಿಷೇಧಿಸಬೇಕು ಹೇಳಿ..?
ಮಕ್ಕಳಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಭಕ್ತಿಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರವನ್ನು ನೀಡುವುದು ಅಪರಾಧವೇ..?
ನಾವು ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದ ಘಟಕ ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥ ಮಾಡಿಸಿ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಸಮರ್ಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಸಂವಿಧಾನ ಬಾಹಿರವೇ..?
ನೀವೇಕೆ ಕಣ್ಣಿದ್ದು ಕುರುಡರಾಗಿದ್ದೀರಿ, ಕಿವಿ… pic.twitter.com/oT7QuFL9Cr
— Ravi C T 🇮🇳 ರವಿ ಸಿ ಟಿ (@CTRavi_BJP) October 12, 2025
Ravi concluded that Kharge’s obsession with banning the RSS was delusional. “No government in India has ever succeeded in silencing the Sangh, not even during Emergency. It represents India’s unity, discipline, and selfless service. The dream of banning the RSS will remain just that — a dream,” he declared.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has reportedly forwarded Kharge’s letter to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh for review and necessary action. The move has only deepened political fault lines in the state, with BJP accusing the Congress of pursuing divisive politics at the cost of Karnataka’s peace and development.
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