Kharge stated that his phone “hasn’t stopped ringing” with threats aimed at intimidating him over his demand to stop Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh events on government premises, including parks, school grounds, colleges and government-aided institutions. He emphasised that his plea is not to ban the RSS organisation itself, but to prevent its access to government property.
The minister first pressed for such a restriction via a letter he dispatched on 4 October to the Chief Minister, urging a prohibition on all forms of RSS gatherings — shakhas, sanghiks, baithaks — in premises under state control. Kharge cited voice-based arguments that ideological activities on public property violate constitutional values and risk communal bias.
Soon after, Kharge began reporting the threats. He characterised them as part of an “organised conspiracy” and said that callers, masking their IP addresses, used foreign lines and multiple languages, making tracing difficult. He pointed out that earlier similar threats he received while in the Opposition had led to FIRs, and that law enforcement had attributed some calls to masked foreign IPs.
In response to the controversy, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he had instructed the Chief Secretary to review Tamil Nadu’s model for restricting such activities, after Kharge cited that state’s precedent. The CM clarified that the government would examine legal and administrative options before any decision.
The opposition has seized on the issue. The BJP’s state leadership accused the Congress government of harbouring anti-RSS bias. State BJP leader B. Y. Vijayendra claimed Congress has repeatedly attempted to prohibit the RSS in the past, only to fail. Meanwhile, N Ravikumar, the Opposition chief whip in the Karnataka Legislative Council, demanded Kharge’s expulsion from the Cabinet, citing what he termed Kharge’s ignorance of the RSS and its role.
Voices from within BJP circles have sharpened their attack. Capt Brijesh Chowta, MP from Dakshina Kannada, suggested Kharge’s demand was a bid to appease senior Congress leadership. He questioned how slogans like “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai” could be framed as antithetical to constitutional unity, accusing Kharge of aligning with anti-India sentiments.
Krishnaraja MLA T. S. Srivatsa dismissed Kharge’s demand as “the height of foolishness”, challenging the opposition’s logic by asking what the state would do if BJP legislators entered the legislature wearing RSS uniforms. He urged Kharge to attend an RSS shakha for an hour to understand the organisation’s activities, and asserted that no one should attempt to curtail it. Former MP Pratap Simha joined the criticism, questioning Kharge’s educational credentials and accusing him of attacking the RSS merely to elevate his public profile.
Beyond political backlash, religious and civic voices have also weighed in. A Pejawar Mutt seer, Sri Vishwaprasanna Tirtha Swami, called upon the Chief Minister to consult all stakeholders before proceeding with any ban. He defended the RSS’s social contributions over the past century, particularly during natural disasters, and contended that errors in an organisation should be addressed through review rather than prohibition.
Kharge, for his part, has said that threats and personal jibes will not silence him. He invoked the legacies of Dr B. R. Ambedkar, Basavanna and other reformers in framing his stand, and described his proposal as a move to safeguard free and secular education in state institutions. He challenged BJP leaders by pointing out that their families generally avoid RSS participation, asking why their children did not engage in shakhas or public roles.