The dispute between Congress and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Karnataka is now deepening. First Priyank Kharge and now Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge have openly supported the Karnataka government’s decision to ban RSS programs. Kharge said in sharp words that RSS should be completely banned because it is the root cause of most of the law and order problems in the country.
Kharge said in his statement, “I believe that it is necessary to ban RSS. RSS and BJP are the cause of most of the riots and unrest in the country.” Referring to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, he said that even at that time Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had criticized RSS and banned it. Kharge claimed that Sardar Patel had taken this step to save the secular and democratic structure of the country.
The Congress President also launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said, “Modi ji is an expert in turning lies into truth. BJP blames Congress for everything, but why doesn’t it look at its own misdeeds?” Kharge stressed that no matter how much one tries to hide the truth, it always comes out.
In his statement, Kharge mentioned the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel and the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He said, “Sardar Patel was an Iron Man and Indira Gandhi was an Iron Lady. Both played an important role in uniting the country.” Taking aim at RSS, Kharge said that the organization gave rise to the environment which led to Gandhiji’s assassination. He quoted Sardar Patel’s letter which he had written to RSS founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee.
Kharge accused RSS and BJP of creating a divide between Nehru and Patel. He said, “RSS people always talk about the feud between Nehru and Patel, but the truth is that their relationship was very good. Both used to praise each other.” Kharge also reminded that it was Nehru who had unveiled the first statue of Sardar Patel in Gujarat and laid the foundation of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Taking a jibe at BJP, he said, “Don’t look for pebbles in curd, everyone knows your history.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the National Unity Day parade near the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat on Friday that Sardar Patel wanted to merge the entire Kashmir with India, but the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not allow his wish to be fulfilled. Modi said that Kashmir was divided, it was given a separate constitution and a separate flag, due to which the country had to suffer for decades.
Kharge got angry at this statement of Modi. He said that BJP distorts history. Kharge said, “Sardar Patel believed that one should not waste time in writing history, but should work hard to make history. BJP should look at its history and accept the truth.”
This war between RSS and Congress in Karnataka seems to be intensifying. This statement of Kharge has created a stir in the political circles. Now it remains to be seen what will be the next turn of this dispute.
