BENGALURU — Karnataka Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology, Priyank Kharge, has alleged that he received multiple threatening phone calls and abusive messages after calling for a ban on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities in government-run institutions.
In a post on X, Kharge said that he and his family had been subjected to harassment over the past two days. He affirmed that he was “neither shaken nor surprised” by the intimidation tactics.
He added, “When the RSS didn’t spare Mahatma Gandhi or Babasaheb Ambedkar, why would they spare me?” And that such threats and “personal jibes” would not silence him, Vartha Bharati reported.
For the past two days, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing. Calls filled with threats, intimidation and the filthiest abuse directed at me and my family, simply because I dared to question and restrain RSS activities in government schools, colleges and public institutions.
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) October 14, 2025
But I’m…
The controversy began after Kharge wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging a ban on RSS shakhas (branches) and related activities within government schools, colleges, and public premises. In his letter, Kharge accused the RSS of spreading “negative thoughts” among students and promoting an ideology that contradicts the secular and democratic principles of the Constitution.
His remarks have triggered sharp criticism from the opposition BJP, which accused him of engaging in a “publicity stunt” and showing “foolishness.” Responding to the backlash, Kharge reiterated his stance, declaring, “This has just begun.” He called for building a society based on the ideals of Buddha, Basavanna, and Babasaheb Ambedkar — one grounded in “equality, reason, and compassion” — to, as he put it, “purge this nation of the most dangerous viRuSS.”
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has acknowledged receipt of Kharge’s letter and has reportedly directed the Chief Secretary to examine the issue and take suitable action. The state government is said to be studying the legal feasibility of such a move, drawing reference from a similar framework implemented in Tamil Nadu.
