BENGALURU: BJP national organisational general secretary BL Santhosh on Saturday hit back at Home Minister Priyank Kharge over the issue of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) registration, asserting that the organisation does not intend to seek registration.
His remarks came amid a growing political confrontation between the ruling Congress and BJP over RSS, its activities and the proposed legislation on the use of government premises and public property in the state.
Santhosh was speaking at ‘Akhand Bharat Sankalp Din’ organised by Hindu Jagarana Vedike at Bannappa Park to mark 80th Independence Day after hoisting the Tricolour and the saffron flag.
Taking a dig at Priyank Kharge, Santosh said registration is not a yardstick for judging an organisation and “Kharge is not the yardstick for everything.”
Referring to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region’s past, he alleged that Priyank Kharge’s father and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family members moved to Kalaburagi in the wake of attacks by the Razakars. Hindus had protected the family. RSS volunteers had fought against the Razakars when police and politicians did not intervene, Santosh claimed.
“Your (Priyank Kharge) family came running to Gulbarga. Your family fled the village. Today, you point fingers at the Sangh. The same Sangh fought against the Razakars; the same Sangh helped and comforted the Hindus during the Partition. RSS volunteers protected the Hindus and escorted them to safe places,” BL Santhosh said.
“The Sangh was not registered then and it will not register even now. The world does not run on your registrations... That is a system. Today, we all must remember the work done by the Sangh then,” he said.
Referring to Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar and Chamarajpet Assembly constituencies, he said, “A Hindu representative has not been elected from the two constituencies for around two decades.” He challenged the Congress to field Hindu leaders from both constituencies and ensure their victory.
Dr KJ Purushotham, president of the International Human Rights Protection Committee and international vice-president of Paris BRICS, SR Vishwanath, Yelahanka MLA, Dr HK Nagaraj, president and director of Raksha Foundation, and BJP leaders Jayanagar MLA CK Ramamurthy, Chi Na Ramu and Nandish Reddy were present.