BENGALURU: Continuing his tirade against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday challenged the organisation to register itself, offering to pay the registration fee.
Kharge was responding to BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, who had pointed out that he had earlier stated in the Upper House that there were no criminal cases against the RSS. Kharge said the reason was that the organisation was not registered. “BJP leaders are a bunch of fools who have studied in WhatsApp universities. The RSS is not registered. So why should I ban it? Come within the legal framework. You are not above the law,” he said.
Taking his challenge further, Kharge offered to pay the registration fee for the RSS. “Please register yourselves. I will pay your registration fee,” he said, adding that he was even willing to pay for the registration of all RSS shakhas in Karnataka from his MLA funds or salary.
The minister said that he was prepared to extend the offer to facilitate registration of RSS units across the country as well.
Kharge reiterated his claim that the RSS is an unregistered organisation and questioned why it had not registered itself despite several prominent BJP leaders, including PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP leaders B S Yediyurappa and R Ashoka, having been associated with it.
He also hit out at BJP leaders for reacting to his remarks, saying that if his statements were irrelevant, there was no reason for them to respond.
On the criminal defamation case filed against him, Kharge said he was ready to face the matter in court. “You have filed a criminal defamation case and sent summons. Come, I will answer you in court,” he said.