Bengaluru, Oct 20 (IANS) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is being nationally embarrassed by his son and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, for his sharp attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, stated Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha Member Lahar Singh Siroya on Monday.

Speaking to IANS, Siroya asserted that Priyank Kharge’s statements were an attempt to “brighten the prospects of his political career” and “to please Rahul Gandhi” by utilising language favoured by the former Congress president.

“Such remarks are inappropriate during the Diwali festival. Let me first extend my Diwali greetings to everyone. Priyank Kharge, in his bid to strengthen his political career and position himself for the post of Chief Minister or deputy Chief Minister, seems to be using the kind of language that Rahul Gandhi appreciates,” he alleged.

“Priyank Kharge, displaying the arrogance that comes from being the son of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, has been commenting on subjects unrelated to his department and making irresponsible statements. His baseless allegations against the RSS are unfortunate, as these matters do not fall within his jurisdiction,” he said.

The BJP MP pointed out the significant sacrifices of the RSS for the nation, noting its service during various national crises.

Siroya claimed the Karnataka Minister is acting only to keep Rahul Gandhi satisfied, but “in the process, he is embarrassing his own father,” whose position as the Congress president will compel him to bear the consequences nationally.

Drawing a parallel, Siroya alleged that just as Priyank Kharge has been involved in land dealings in the name of trusts, he is now “embarrassing Mallikarjun Kharge, who himself makes allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

He advised the Minister to look at the happenings in his own family, claiming that it is mired in “corruption and land encroachments.”

“His family is entangled in corruption and land encroachment cases. Mallikarjun Kharge is preoccupied with appeasing Rahul Gandhi, and this attitude has hurt both national politics and Karnataka. The people of Karnataka will not tolerate a senior leader reducing himself to such subservience,” Siroya alleged.

On the issue of the caste census, he said, “The time has come for all political parties to reflect on how far they are prepared to go in dividing the country along caste and religious lines. A similar attempt was made during the tenure of former Chief Minister Veerappa Moily in 1994, when he sought to divide society on caste lines. As a result, the Congress was pushed to the third position in the state elections.”

He alleged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is pushing the issue to ensure no other leader, including Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, gets a chance to become Chief Minister after him.

In the upcoming elections, the Congress will face a serious setback. Out of the 28 constituencies in Bengaluru, particularly within the Greater Bengaluru Authority limits, the party will not be able to win even a single seat, the BJP leader claimed.

This is not just vote-bank politics; it is a politics that will sink the Congress party, Siroya said.

–IANS

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