Karnataka Home Minister Summoned Over Comments on RSS

Bengaluru, July 22: A special court in Bengaluru has summoned Karnataka’s Home Minister Priyank Kharge for the second time. He is required to appear in person regarding a private complaint filed against him for comments made about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Judge Sandeep Patil’s court has also issued a summons to Congress leader Mohammad Nalapad, directing both leaders to appear on August 1.

These new summons were issued following a police report related to previously issued summons for Kharge and Nalapad. The case stems from a private complaint lodged by Tejas Gowda, a resident of Siddhapura, who alleged that the statements made by both Congress leaders tarnished the image of the RSS.

According to the complaint, Priyank Kharge made remarks about the RSS on the social media platform ‘X,’ while Mohammad Nalapad allegedly made derogatory statements against the organization during an interview on a YouTube channel.

The petitioner argued that the comments from both leaders harmed the reputation of the RSS and called for legal action against them. This marks the second time the special court has summoned Kharge and Nalapad in this matter, instructing them to appear in person for further proceedings on August 1.

The core of the dispute between Karnataka’s Home Minister Priyank Kharge and the RSS revolves around his demand for the organization to register itself and disclose its financial operations. The controversy intensified when Kharge wrote an open letter to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, questioning the organization’s institutional autonomy and funding transparency.

Kharge has called for the RSS to make public its registration status, organizational structure, income and expenditure details, and assets. He previously alleged that the organization’s unregistered status and collection of donations through ‘Guru Dakshina’ help it evade tax and financial scrutiny.

This confrontation has sparked a heated political debate. Kharge claims he has received threatening phone calls and stated that within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dalits are compelled to operate under the RSS ideology.

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