A fresh political dispute has emerged in Karnataka following comments by Congress leader B K Hariprasad about the RSS and BJP during a programme in Bengaluru. His remarks, which included a call to drive the two organisations out of the city, have drawn a response from BJP leader and Karnataka Legislative Council Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.
The comments were reported on September 28 and quickly became a subject of political discussion. Hariprasad also spoke about Vande Mataram and referred to the RSS uniform and its traditional use of a stick during marches.
Hariprasad accused the RSS and BJP of promoting an ideology that he opposes and told Congress workers to work against their presence in Bengaluru. His comments were made in the context of his wider criticism of the RSS and BJP.
He also raised concerns about electoral rolls and criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. According to the report, Hariprasad urged party workers to remain alert about voter lists and questioned the functioning of the election process.
The remarks triggered a response from Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, who rejected the suggestion that the RSS or BJP could be driven out of Bengaluru. He said people could not simply be removed from a city because of their political or organisational affiliation.
Narayanaswamy also defended the RSS reference to sticks, saying they form part of the organisations traditional uniform during route marches. He argued that the presence of such items should not be interpreted as evidence of violence. His comments were reported by UNI following the controversy.
The BJP leader also questioned Hariprasads credibility and criticised the tone of the Congress leaders remarks. He said political differences should not lead to suggestions that a particular group or organisation should be driven out of Bengaluru.
The latest exchange is part of a series of political disagreements between Hariprasad and BJP leaders in Karnataka. The Congress leader has recently made several public comments on the RSS, BJP and other political issues, leading to repeated criticism from opposition leaders.
Earlier in September, Hariprasads remarks in the Karnataka Legislative Council about Prime Minister Narendra Modi also led to protests from BJP members. The dispute resulted in heated exchanges in the House, with opposition members demanding action over his comments.
Hariprasad has also faced criticism from BJP leaders over his comments concerning activist Umar Khalid earlier in September. Chalavadi Narayanaswamy responded to those remarks as well, adding to the continuing political exchange between the two leaders.
The latest Bengaluru controversy is therefore not an isolated disagreement. It comes amid continuing arguments between Congress and BJP leaders in Karnataka over the RSS, political ideology, electoral issues and the conduct of public representatives.
The comments about the RSS and BJP have attracted attention because Bengaluru is a major political and administrative centre in Karnataka, with supporters of different political organisations active across the city.
Hariprasads statement and Narayanaswamys response represent opposing political positions. Hariprasad has continued to criticise the RSS and BJP, while Narayanaswamy has defended the RSS and rejected the suggestion that its members or BJP supporters should be removed from Bengaluru.
The controversy is expected to remain part of the wider political debate in Karnataka, particularly as leaders from both sides continue to exchange allegations and counter allegations in public forums.
For now, the dispute remains a political exchange between the Congress and BJP camps. The statements made by the two leaders have been reported as part of that ongoing disagreement, while the broader issues concerning the RSS and electoral administration continue to generate debate in Karnataka.
