Why Did K’taka Minister Priyank Kharge Criticize BJP Over Protests?

Bengaluru, May 25 (NationPress) In response to the BJP's protest in Kalaburagi—his home district—over accusations of his alleged highhandedness towards the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalawadi Narayanaswamy, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge retaliated against BJP leaders for targeting him.

During a press briefing at the Congress headquarters in Bengaluru, Priyank Kharge remarked on Saturday, “If a so-called ‘Republic of Kalaburagi’ truly existed, how is it possible that the BJP has organized protests there four times recently? They label it as the ‘Republic of Kalaburagi’ while Narayanaswamy is out there crying to the public, claiming he’s under attack. He referred to me as a dog—how can he then position himself as the victim?”

He added, “You were the one who insulted me first, only to face public backlash afterward. Now you're staging protests against me, and I can't grasp the logic—who is the actual victim here? The person who insulted or the one who was insulted?”

“During the BJP's tenure in power, their leaders did not even glance in the direction of Kalaburagi. Now, they’ve protested there four times. Each time, the state BJP leadership chants, ‘Remove Priyank Kharge, Save Kalaburagi,’” he emphasized.

“It's amusing that BJP officials are now frequently seen in Kalaburagi, while they never visited even once during their time in power,” Kharge reiterated. “They seem to show up regularly, blindly believing whatever the local BJP leaders tell them. They lack both shame and common sense.”

He further remarked, “Previously, all these BJP leaders came to support a man accused of stealing rice and baby milk powder. They claimed he was attacked and even staged drama about his car being in an accident. Now, they’ve given that same rice thief a party ticket,” he stated, referencing BJP leader Manikanth Rathod.

“Chalawadi Narayanaswamy speaks with a forked tongue—he says one thing in Kalaburagi and another in Bengaluru. Here, he claims nothing happened to him; in Bengaluru, he asserts he was attacked. His shifting narrative clearly demonstrates his double standards,” Priyank charged.

Expressing disbelief at BJP MLC C.T. Ravi, Priyank stated, “Whenever he visits Kalaburagi, his sole topic is the Nizams and Razakars. He has nothing else to contribute. He constantly brings up Muslims and Pakistan. I propose—his masters in the RSS aspire to create Akhand Bharat. Let him move to Pakistan, settle there, and start making that dream come true.”

“I respectfully submit to C.T. Ravi—there's no point ranting here. Go to Pakistan, settle there, and turn the RSS’s Akhand Bharat vision into reality,” he challenged.

He also questioned Ravi’s actions in a previous case involving Congress MLC Lakshmi Hebbalkar. “When the Hebbalkar case arose in the Legislative Council, why didn’t C.T. Ravi provide his voice sample? Why did he approach the Supreme Court for a stay?” he asked.

“Let them lecture me—I remain unfazed. They label me the ‘Pappu of Karnataka’. I challenge BJP leaders to debate me on any issue. Let’s uncover who the actual ‘Pappu’ is,” Kharge concluded.

Kalaburagi is the home district of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and his son, Minister Priyank Kharge.

BJP leader Narayanaswamy had previously compared Priyank Kharge to a “dog,” leading to Kharge’s supporters allegedly surrounding and detaining him for five hours, demanding an apology. Subsequently, the BJP organized a protest in Kalaburagi condemning the incident and calling for Priyank Kharge’s resignation.