Karnataka BJP grills Priyank Kharge over RSS remarks, cites Gandhi on Congress
Synopsis
Karnataka BJP's Chalavadi Narayanaswamy flipped Priyank Kharge's RSS attack back on the Congress — citing Gandhi's own call to dissolve the party — while simultaneously accusing the Home Minister of ignoring Dalit fund diversions and rising atrocities. The exchange reveals that in Karnataka, the RSS debate and Dalit welfare politics are now deeply intertwined.
Key Takeaways
BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy challenged Home Minister Priyank Kharge in Bengaluru on 16 June over his remarks on the RSS .
Narayanaswamy invoked Mahatma Gandhi's post-Independence call to dissolve the Congress and form a body called 'Lok Sevak Sangh' .
He alleged the Congress government diverted SCSP and TSP funds meant for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes toward guarantee schemes.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had already responded to Kharge's earlier remarks, according to Narayanaswamy.
A recent case in Hubballi-Dharwad was cited to highlight alleged deterioration in law and order affecting women and Dalits.
Narayanaswamy said the BJP would support any genuine effort by Kharge to fight for Dalit rights rather than 'diversionary controversies'.
Karnataka Legislative Council Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, 16 June publicly challenged Home Minister Priyank Kharge over his recent remarks targeting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), turning the attack back on the Indian National Congress (INC) by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's own views on the party.
The Gandhi Gambit
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Narayanaswamy drew on a well-known historical position — that Gandhi had, after Independence, advocated dissolving the Congress and reconstituting it as a public service body called the 'Lok Sevak Sangh', envisioned to work for women, Scheduled Castes, and the protection of cows. Narayanaswamy directed this squarely at Kharge's family legacy: Priyank Kharge's father, Mallikarjun Kharge, is the All India Congress Committee (AICC) President.
'Your father is the AICC President. Why have you not written a letter seeking the dissolution of the Congress party in line with Mahatma Gandhi's wishes?' Narayanaswamy asked, framing the jibe as a test of the Minister's consistency on historical authorities.
He also noted that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had already responded to the issues raised by Priyank Kharge, suggesting the Minister had received his answer and should move on.
Dalit Welfare at the Centre of the Attack
The BJP leader escalated his critique beyond the RSS controversy, accusing Priyank Kharge of neglecting the very communities he was elected to represent. Narayanaswamy alleged that the Congress government had failed to ensure that funds earmarked under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) reached intended beneficiaries, and further claimed those funds had been diverted toward the government's guarantee schemes — a charge he said Kharge had publicly defended.
Invoking B.R. Ambedkar, Narayanaswamy questioned what injustice the RSS had caused to Dalits, contrasting it with what he described as the Congress government's own failures on social justice. 'Why have you not demanded that these funds be used for the development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes? Do you lack the courage to do so?' he asked.
Law and Order Concerns Raised
Narayanaswamy also raised law-and-order concerns, alleging that incidents of murder, robbery, and atrocities against Dalits were on the rise under the current administration. He cited a recent case in Hubballi-Dharwad to question the government's response to crimes against women and what he described as a deteriorating security situation.
He further alleged that several Dalit leaders had been politically sidelined and that the Minister's actions had harmed Dalit political representation, particularly in the Kalyana Karnataka region — despite Kharge himself representing a reserved constituency.
BJP's Position on RSS
Narayanaswamy was careful to clarify that he was not speaking on behalf of the RSS. He maintained, however, that thousands of legally registered organisations — including those engaged in social reform, Dalit empowerment, and community service — operate within the law, and that the RSS's activities should be assessed in that context.
He concluded by saying the BJP would welcome any genuine effort by Priyank Kharge to fight for Dalit rights and social justice, rather than what he characterised as diversionary controversies. The exchange signals that the RSS-versus-Congress debate in Karnataka is far from settled, with both sides now using Dalit welfare as the primary battleground ahead of future electoral contests.
Point of View
But it lands differently when directed at a minister whose father leads the party nationally. The more substantive charge, however, is the alleged SCSP and TSP fund diversion: if accurate, it directly contradicts the Congress's social justice positioning in Karnataka. The BJP's decision to merge the RSS debate with Dalit welfare is deliberate — it forces Kharge to fight on two fronts simultaneously and muddies the original narrative. Whether Kharge responds to the fund-diversion allegation specifically will determine whether this exchange has lasting political consequence.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Karnataka BJP question Priyank Kharge over RSS remarks?
BJP's Chalavadi Narayanaswamy challenged Home Minister Priyank Kharge on 16 June after Kharge made public remarks targeting the RSS. Narayanaswamy argued that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had already responded to those remarks, and turned the debate around by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's own call to dissolve the Congress party after Independence.
What is the 'Lok Sevak Sangh' reference made by BJP's Narayanaswamy?
Narayanaswamy cited Mahatma Gandhi's post-Independence position that the Congress should be dissolved and reconstituted as a public service organisation called 'Lok Sevak Sangh', meant to work for women, Scheduled Castes, and the protection of cows. He used this to ask why Priyank Kharge — whose father is AICC President — had not pushed for the same.
What allegations did BJP make about SCSP and TSP funds in Karnataka?
Narayanaswamy alleged that the Karnataka Congress government had failed to channel funds under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) to their intended beneficiaries, and that these funds had instead been diverted toward the government's guarantee schemes. He claimed Priyank Kharge had publicly defended this diversion.
What law-and-order concerns did Narayanaswamy raise?
The BJP leader alleged rising incidents of murder, robbery, and atrocities against Dalits under the current Karnataka administration. He cited a recent case in Hubballi-Dharwad to question the government's response to crimes against women and what he described as a broader deterioration in law and order.
Did Narayanaswamy claim to represent the RSS?
No. Narayanaswamy explicitly stated he was not an RSS spokesperson and had no authority to speak on the organisation's behalf. He argued, however, that thousands of legally registered organisations engaged in social reform and Dalit empowerment — including those associated with the RSS ecosystem — operate within the law.
