Is Priyank Kharge Unfazed by Threats in the RSS Ban Controversy?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Priyank Kharge remains resolute against threats related to the ban on RSS.
- The controversy raises questions about political ideologies and their impact on youth.
- Kharge's video evidences the toxic culture surrounding political discourse.
- Concerns about sexual harassment within RSS camps have been raised.
- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is considering measures similar to those taken in Tamil Nadu.
Bengaluru, Oct 15 (NationPress) The controversy over the proposed ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities in Karnataka escalated on Wednesday. Priyank Kharge, the Minister for RDPR, IT, and BT, shared a disturbing video and audio clip, asserting that he remains unshaken by these incidents.
“If they believe that threats and insults will rattle me, they are living in a fantasy,” he declared.
In the 2.12-minute video, Kharge is seen engaged in a conversation with an unidentified caller. The caller, speaking in Hindi, confronts Kharge about his proposal to prohibit RSS activities, subsequently resorting to abusive language. In response, Kharge challenges the caller, questioning whether such language was learned within the RSS.
In a statement accompanying the clip, Kharge remarked, "I previously mentioned that the RSS is corrupting the minds of our youth and children. This clip serves as a clear example of that corruption. It represents a mere fraction of the ongoing stream of threats and abusive calls I have been facing recently. Is this the type of 'culture' fostered in their shakhas — one that encourages vile insults directed at one's mother and sisters?"
Kharge further questioned, "Would prominent BJP leaders like B.Y. Vijayendra, R. Ashoka, C.T. Ravi, Sunil Kumar, Pratap Simha, and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy condone similar insults directed at the mothers of Narendra Modi and Mohan Bhagwat?"
"While the children of BJP leaders are focused on building their futures, the underprivileged youth are being exploited to hurl threats, insults, and become victims of this toxic culture. Filing a complaint may jeopardize the individual caller's life, yet those who instilled this mindset will not face repercussions," he expressed.
"Our battle is not against individuals; it is against the vile mindset propagated by the RSS, against the malevolent forces that manipulate innocent minds and distort their thinking. We must guide those who have become pawns of the RSS away from their misguided beliefs and towards the enlightened philosophies of Buddha, Basava, and Ambedkar," Priyank Kharge affirmed.
"I am committed to taking decisive actions to protect innocent children and youth from falling victim to such a corrupt system," he emphasized.
"If they think that threats and insults will unnerve me, that is merely their illusion. For me, politics transcends power; it embodies ideological politics — a people-centric approach aimed at rescuing our innocent youth from a perilous cycle of toxicity," he concluded.
Priyank Kharge indicated on Tuesday that he and his family have been subjected to threats and abuse for the last two days for questioning the RSS and advocating for a ban on its public activities.
The Minister had previously sent a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah proposing a ban on RSS activities in public spaces and on school and college grounds, igniting controversy. In response, the BJP released an image showing Mallikarjun Kharge at an RSS event in Bengaluru and criticized him.
Defending his demand to prohibit RSS activities in public areas, Priyank Kharge clarified on Monday that his father, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, attended an RSS event solely to caution them against causing disturbances.
Additionally, in light of a suicide by a Kerala man allegedly due to years of sexual abuse at RSS camps, Priyank Kharge claimed that sexual harassment is also occurring within the RSS in Karnataka.
Following Kharge's letter advocating for a ban on RSS activities in public areas, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah instructed the Chief Secretary to review the actions taken in Tamil Nadu and implement similar measures in Karnataka.