Come Nov 8-9 & it will be a D day for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s karyakartas in Karnataka as its pramukh Mohan Bhagwat will be interacting with representatives from sectors including health, social service, education, entertainment, sports, industry, finance, and others in the garden city Bengaluru.
The event comes at a time when RSS is celebrating the completion of 100 years and Congress leaders in Karnataka have started a calculated hate campaign against the patriotic organisation.
Though it is a different thing that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is an excuse for these Congress leaders, who are fighting among themselves for the coveted post of chief ministership. While CM Siddaramaiah, a few days back, denied banning RSS, his boss Mallikarjun Kharge’s son Priyank Kharge is after RSS, out to defame it just for political gains.
A shrewd politician, Siddaramaiah, is treading cautiously vis-à-vis RSS. This is what he said of RSS on Tuesday. “The Karnataka Government has not banned Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. RSS is not mentioned anywhere in the order issued to allow associations to obtain permission in school and college premises, CM Siddaramaiah told the media in Puttur. His statement assumes significance taking into account
But Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge is going after RSS full throttle. This could be a calculated move on his part. For some days now, not a day goes by when he is not saying something against RSS.
Is he addressing his local constituency making RSS an excuse or it is something else. Let us delve into it. It all started some days back, when on Oct 4, Priyank Kharge, who incidently is son of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking a blanket ban on RSS. The letter targetted RSS as it celebrates 100 years of its existence and called for complete ban on its activities on government premises, including State-run schools, parks and playgrounds.
Subsequently, Priyank Kharge yet again wrote to CM Siddaramaiah this time for disciplinary action against government employees having links with the Hindu nationalist organisation.
In a letter dated October 13, Kharge cited the Karnataka Civil Services (Conduct) Rules and pointed out that government employees are barred from being members or participating in the activities of any organisation linked to politics or a political party.
“In spite of this clear direction, it has been observed of late that government employees and servants are participating in programmes and activities of the RSS and other such organisations,” he stated. The minister also issued show cause notices to government employees, who are all participating in RSS programmes, threatening them with suspensions.
Junior Kharge did not stop here. Next day he told reporters that he was receiving threats to his life as he has criticised the RSS. He even tried to show some call recording to prove his point. He posted a video on X on October 15 where an individual could be heard abusing the Minister in harsh and unparliamentary language.
Now after his persistent tirade against RSS, what did Karnataka CM do. Acting on first letter, he directed Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh to study Tamil Nadu model in dealing with RSS. He said action would be taken once the report is submitted. Subsequently, Siddaramaiah also assured Priyank Kharge’s full security in lieu of the threats.
But why Priyank Kharge this time is so adamant to raise the issue of RSS publicly. There can be two reasons behind it. First, total consolidation of Muslim votes in Bihar. The muslim hatred towards RSS is well known. Presently, a section of Muslim still vote for JD (U), an ally of BJP in Bihar. He also knows how a statement by RSS supremo on reservations in the last assembly elections led to BJP’s debacle in the polls. Kharge thus by giving such anti-RSS statements, wants to ensure that the entire Muslim votes get consolidated in favour of INDI Alliance. And thus targeting RSS could be part of gameplan.
Secondly, these all RSS statement by Priyank Kharge could be a fallout of internal power struggle in Karnataka. There is no denial to the fact that that there are two camps in Karnataka one led by CM Siddaramaiah and other by Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. Priyank Kharge has been neutral so far and has never attended dinner meetings of any of the two. Interestingly, the other contender for chief ministerial post DK Shivakumar has been praising RSS and by singing RSS anthem inside the legislative assembly, he even proved it.
But his father and now Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was once a strong claimant to the chief ministership. Kharge was at the helm of affairs of Congress in Karnataka when in 2005, Siddaramaiah was expelled from JD (S) by HD Devegowda following which he joined Congress and this was it. Siddaramaiah now took the command of Congress and Kharge’s silent move to Delhi to do politics at centre.
One cannot rule out Priyank Kharge taking revenge from Siddaramaiah. Junior Kharge knows very well it will not be easy for Siddaramaiah to ban RSS from Karnataka as the state has deep RSS roots with a big following. And this can be guaged from the fact that Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara has some days back clarified that they cannot take action against RSS suo moto and will only act on complaints.
Political pundits do not rule out Priyank Kharge seeing a future for himself amidst the ongoing power tussle between the incumbent CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. He aims to emerge as dark horse. He has so far tried to maintain an equidistant from the groups. Attack on RSS could be his effort to gain the confidence of party high command and position himself as a contender for the coveted post.
Amidst this melee within power-hungry Congress leaders, RSS in Karnataka stands tall and continues to garner immense respect from the masses.
