Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister for Home Priyank Kharge on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ramesh Jigajinagi over his remarks questioning why Dalits should be concerned about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Earlier, Jigajinagi had criticised Kharge’s remarks on the RSS and questioned why Dalits should concern themselves with the organisation. He had also reportedly cautioned Kharge against targeting the RSS, saying that “no one who has taken on the RSS has survived politically.”
The remarks triggered a sharp response from Kharge, who accused Jigajinagi of attempting to discourage scrutiny of the RSS and defended his right to question the organisation’s ideology and functioning.
Kharge said Jigajinagi’s question, “Why do Dalits need to bother about the RSS?”, deserved deeper examination and raised concerns about the role of Dalits within the RSS and its broader ideological framework.
He asked whether the BJP MP’s remarks reflected frustration over the inability of Dalits to gain equal acceptance within the RSS.
“Is this a statement of frustration from a Dalit leader who himself cannot gain entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the RSS? Is it a warning to Dalits not to associate with an organisation that believes in a hierarchical social order?” he asked.
The minister further questioned whether Jigajinagi was suggesting that Dalits lacked the legitimacy to question the RSS, which he alleged was formed to safeguard the interests of socially dominant groups.
Kharge also took exception to Jigajinagi’s reported warning that “no one who has taken on the RSS has survived.” He asked whether the BJP MP was speaking out of fear of the RSS or attempting to intimidate him. “
What is the meaning of saying that no one who challenged the RSS has survived? Does it mean the RSS is a terror organisation? Does it eliminate those who question it?” he asked.
Reaffirming his ideological commitment to the principles of B.R. Ambedkar, Kharge said he would not be intimidated by threats or warnings.
He stated that the courage to question and the spirit of rational inquiry came from Ambedkar, and those who believed in him did not know fear.
Kharge asserted that he drew strength from the Constitution and would not be intimidated by organisations that, in his view, lacked constitutional recognition. “I fear only a lack of morality, not threats. We carry the legacy and blood of Ambedkar,” he added.
The exchange comes amid an escalating political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP over the role, status and functioning of the RSS, with leaders from both sides trading sharp remarks in recent days.
(IANS)
