Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah delivered a sharp political address at the swearing-in ceremony of B.K. Hariprasad as the new Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president on Sunday, 21 June 2026, accusing the BJP and RSS of undermining the Constitution and spreading disinformation through social media.

Context

Speaking at the event, Siddaramaiah said his government has been working to fulfil the original purpose of the Constitution since coming to power. He cited a specific initiative — directing students in government schools to recite the Preamble to the Constitution daily — as a concrete step toward constitutional literacy. The measure was introduced under then Social Welfare Minister Mahadeva during his current tenure.

In his own words (translated from Kannada): 'Samvidhana ellarigu tiliyabeku' [The Constitution must be known to all]. He framed the initiative as essential to protecting pluralism in Indian society.

Political Backdrop

Siddaramaiah trained his sharpest criticism at the ideological roots of the BJP, alleging that RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar had sent associates abroad to study the administrations of Italy's Mussolini and Germany's Hitler, with the aim of replicating authoritarian governance in India. He declared that neither the BJP nor the RSS believes in the Constitution, calling them its foremost opponents in the country.

He also attacked the BJP's stated policy positions — 'Ondu dharma, ondu rashtra, ondu chunavane' [One religion, one nation, one election] — as evidence of authoritarian intent. The BJP's 'One Nation One Election' proposal, which seeks simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, has been a flashpoint between the ruling national party and opposition-governed states.

Stakeholders and Impact

The address was directed primarily at Congress party workers, with Siddaramaiah urging them to emulate the resolve of newly appointed KPCC chief B.K. Hariprasad in continuously fighting the BJP and RSS. He said this determination must spread through every layer of the organisation.

The daily recitation of the Constitution Preamble in Karnataka's government schools directly affects millions of school students across the state. The initiative is part of a broader Congress effort to embed constitutional values in public consciousness at the grassroots level, countering what the party describes as majoritarian cultural pressure from the ruling dispensation at the Centre.

What's Next

With B.K. Hariprasad now at the helm of the KPCC, Karnataka Congress is expected to sharpen its organisational campaign against the BJP ahead of future electoral cycles. Siddaramaiah's remarks are likely to invite responses from state and national BJP leaders, and may intensify the ongoing parliamentary and public debate over simultaneous elections and constitutional amendments. The Karnataka government's school-level constitutional awareness programme could also see further expansion as a political and policy signal.