Raipur: Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma on October 13, strongly criticised Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge over his demand to ban Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [RSS] activities in government schools, colleges, and state-owned temples.
Referring to the farmer and student organisations associated with the RSS, the Chhattisgarh Deputy CM asked that on what basis such things are being said.
“If people of an organisation that allowed the partition of India on religious lines say such things… Kisan Sangh and ABVP are two of the biggest organisations in the world. There is a complete chain of the biggest organisations in the world. On what basis are such things being said?” Questioned Sharma.
Sharma’s remarks arrived after Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge in a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged to bar RSS activities in government schools, colleges, and state-owned temples.
Kharge’s letter however stirred a major row with leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] strongly criticising the Congress Minister.
ಇಲ್ಲೊಮ್ಮೆ ನೋಡಿ @PriyankKharge !
ಇಂದು ನೀವು ಆರೆಸ್ಸೆಸ್ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ವಿಷ ಕಾರುತ್ತಾ ಸಂಘದ ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆ “ನಿಷೇಧಿಸಬೇಕು” ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀರ. ಆದರೆ 2002ರಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ನಾಗವಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಸಮರಸತಾ ಸಂಗಮ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ, ಅಂದು ಗೃಹಸಚಿವರಾಗಿದ್ದ ನಿಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆ ಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನ ಖರ್ಗೆ ಅವರು ಸ್ವತಃ ಆ ಶಿಬಿರಕ್ಕೆ ಭೇಟಿ… https://t.co/rCjUtLvk5y pic.twitter.com/kTdiNm9weu
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) October 12, 2025
Meanwhile, reacting to the remarks made by the Congress Minister, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi on October 13 said that restricting RSS entry in certain places won’t result in much change because the majority of MLAs and MPs belong to this ideology.
The Union Minister underscored that RSS is free from factionalism and division and similar attempts made by the Congress presidents have been failed.
“Previous Congress presidents, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi, everybody tried, but they were unable to defend their actions. RSS is the only organisation I believe in the entire world that is free from factionalism and division; it has grown to this level. Restricting entry in certain places won’t change much because most states, ministers, the majority of the MLAs, and MPs belong to this ideology. From minister to prime minister to chief minister, many people are active members of the RSS,” he said.
[With inputs from agencies]
