Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B.K. Hariprasad on Friday, 11 July alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeatedly shifted its political targets over the years and is now weaponising the Bangladesh immigration issue for electoral advantage. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Hariprasad questioned how alleged illegal immigrants could have reached Karnataka — a state that shares no international border with Bangladesh — without a systemic failure by the Centre to secure the country's borders.

Hariprasad's Core Allegations Against BJP

The KPCC chief argued that the BJP's pattern of identifying political bogeymen — from one community to another — reflects a calculated electoral strategy rather than a genuine governance concern. He contended that the Bangladesh immigration narrative is the latest iteration of this approach, timed to influence upcoming elections in the state.

Responding to Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje's letter to the Centre opposing the issuance of permanent residence certificates to alleged illegal immigrants, Hariprasad said she should redirect her efforts. He suggested she instead write to President Droupadi Murmu demanding the dismissal of Union Home Minister Amit Shah — holding Shah accountable for what he described as a failure to prevent illegal entry into the country.

NRC, CAA and Assam: Congress's Counter-Narrative

Hariprasad invoked the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) exercise in Assam, claiming that millions of people — including a significant number of Hindus — faced exclusion from the rolls. He accused the BJP of attempting to disenfranchise genuine Indian voters for political ends, framing the NRC as a tool that harmed the very communities the party claims to protect.

This is not the first time Congress has drawn a parallel between the Bangladesh issue and the Assam NRC experience. Critics of the NRC have long argued that the process was error-prone and disproportionately affected marginalised communities, including Bengali-speaking Hindus.

Greater Bengaluru Authority Elections and SIR Concerns

On the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections, Hariprasad said the Congress was fully prepared and had already constituted its manifesto committee. However, he raised concerns about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the process was being delayed due to a shortage of government officials, with Home Guards being deployed as substitutes.

He noted that there was no clarity on which electoral roll would be used for the elections, and confirmed that the matter had been taken to court. He clarified, however, that the legal petition was filed independently and not by the state government.

Internal Party Affairs and Cabinet Expansion

Hariprasad dismissed suggestions of internal factionalism within the Congress, instead pointing to what he described as growing conflicts among RSS leaders and Sri Ram Sene Chief Pramod Muthalik, who had reportedly sought intervention to manage the situation in Mudigere.

On the delayed expansion of the state Cabinet, the KPCC President drew a clear distinction between the state government and the party organisation, saying each body would independently handle its respective responsibilities. He denied any lack of coordination between the two. On Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni's plea for restoration of his Dharwad Assembly membership, Hariprasad said the party would abide by whatever the court decides.

With the GBA elections approaching and the Bangladesh immigration debate intensifying, the political temperature in Karnataka is set to rise further in the weeks ahead.