Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge said on Tuesday that he and his family have received multiple threatening and abusive phone calls after he urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ban Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities on government properties.
Kharge, who oversees the IT-BT and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj departments, posted on X that his phone &ldquo;hasn&rsquo;t stopped ringing&rdquo; for two days. 
&ldquo;Calls filled with threats, intimidation, and the filthiest abuse directed at me and my family, simply because I dared to question and restrain RSS activities in government schools, colleges, and public institutions,&rdquo; he wrote.
&ldquo;But I&rsquo;m neither shaken nor surprised,&rdquo; Kharge added. 
&ldquo;When the RSS didn&rsquo;t spare Mahatma Gandhi or Babasaheb Ambedkar, why would they spare me? If they think threats and personal jibes will silence me, they are mistaken. This has just begun. It is time to build a society rooted in the principles of Buddha, Basavanna, and Babasaheb &mdash; a society of equality, reason, and compassion &mdash; and purge this nation of the most dangerous viRuSS.&rdquo;
The controversy erupted on Sunday when Kharge wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, asking the state government to&nbsp;prohibit RSS programs on government-owned spaces, including schools, universities, and public grounds. 
The letter coincided with around 100 RSS events held across Bengaluru, many on public properties.
&ldquo;In the interest of the country&rsquo;s children, youth, and society, I request a ban on all types of RSS activities &mdash; shakhas, sanghiks, or baithaks &mdash; conducted on government premises,&rdquo; Kharge wrote.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah later confirmed he had instructed the Chief Secretary to study Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s approach to restricting similar activities.
Kharge clarified that he was not seeking a ban on the RSS as an organization, but rather on its presence in government institutions. 
&ldquo;Where have I said to ban RSS?&rdquo; he asked in an&nbsp;ANI interview. 
&ldquo;They are using government colleges, schools, universities, grounds, and archaeological sites for what? They are poisoning young minds... Schools are for education, not religious indoctrination.&rdquo;
He further said, &ldquo;What I should pray to, eat, or wear &mdash; my parents will teach me at home. In schools, children come to learn so they can rise out of poverty.&rdquo;
Kharge also questioned why BJP leaders&rsquo; children do not participate in RSS shakhas or serve as Gaurakshaks, saying that under the Congress government, &ldquo;government property will not be used to sow seeds of communal hatred.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The RSS can conduct its activities in private places &mdash; houses, farmlands, or hotels &mdash; but not on government premises,&rdquo; he added. 
&ldquo;Trying to act above the Constitution and the law is unacceptable.&rdquo;
Reacting to his remarks, the BJP accused the Congress government of reviving its hostility toward the RSS. 
&ldquo;Congress has repeatedly plotted to ban the RSS but failed every time because its ideology of nationalism and reform always prevails,&rdquo; said BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra.
Meanwhile, Home Minister G. Parameshwara said the government would act only if a formal complaint was filed.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Whenever they (RSS) seek permission, local police assess the law and order situation before approving. If the government decides to impose a ban, it will do so,&rdquo; he said. 
On reports of RSS cadres carrying lathis, he stated that the department would review the issue if officially raised.

Priyank Kharge addressing media amid RSS controversy

Priyank Kharge alleges threats after writing to CM Siddaramaiah on banning RSS events

Priyank Kharge Gets Threats Over RSS Ban Call

Priyank Kharge alleges threats after writing to CM Siddaramaiah on banning RSS events

October 15, 2025 | 16:29 IST