Mangaluru: BJP functionaries including MLC Kishore Kumar Puttur and Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge over his remarks on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing him of making politically motivated statements to divert attention from the Congress government's failures.
Kishore Kumar Puttur's Criticism
Kishore Kumar Puttur said the Congress had no moral authority to question an organisation that had been engaged in nation-building and character-building for nearly a century. Describing Kharge's remarks as the "height of ignorance and arrogance", he alleged that the minister was targeting the RSS to divert attention from corruption, lack of development and the government's scams.
Calling the RSS a lawful organisation that undergoes annual audits and maintains transparent financial records, Puttur challenged Kharge to initiate legal action if he had any evidence of wrongdoing. He said the RSS has 4,127 daily shakhas, and has conducted 2,194 social outreach programmes across Karnataka, with the participation of nearly 19.6 lakh people. He also alleged that the Congress was criticising the RSS for minority appeasement and vote-bank politics, and urged the minister to focus instead on law and order and basic civic issues.
MLA Vedavyas Kamath's Remarks
Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath also criticised Kharge, saying it was "the height of foolishness" to believe that a century-old organisation could be controlled through political power. He urged the newly appointed home minister to focus on pressing issues such as poor SSLC and PUC results, inadequate infrastructure in educational institutions, incidents of dilapidated school buildings, and the deteriorating law and order situation.
Kamath further alleged that Kharge was targeting the RSS to please the Congress high command, and accused the party of resorting to vote-bank politics. Referring to the Davanagere byelection, he claimed the Congress had intensified its criticism of the RSS to prevent the erosion of minority votes after former minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan was not inducted into the cabinet, calling it a sign of political desperation.
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