BENGALURU: The appointment to government boards and corporations of a person allegedly involved in a drug transportation case and two persons said to have links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has triggered resentment within the Congress, prompting KPCC president B K Hariprasad to promise corrective action.
Lingaraj Kanni has been appointed to the board of directors of the Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC). He was reportedly arrested by Mumbai Police on June 22, 2025, for allegedly transporting 120 bottles of codeine phosphate syrup worth around Rs 27,000.
A case was registered against him under the NDPS Act and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. He had also been expelled from the Congress. Sushila Kumar Pattar, appointed as a director of the Karnataka State Forest Development Corporation, and Leeladhar Thakur, appointed as a member of the Karnataka Silk Board, are learnt to have links with the RSS.
The appointments have triggered discontent among grassroots Congress workers, who have questioned the selection of such nominees when several party loyalists are awaiting political accommodation.
Responding to the controversy, Hariprasad said the party was examining the backgrounds of those appointed and had already directed some nominees to resign.
“Those who have links with the RSS should resign from their positions. Otherwise, the government should withdraw their appointments. We have already given directions in this regard,” he said.
Admitting that inadvertent mistakes might have occurred while accommodating more than 400 persons to various boards and corporations, he said the party would rectify them. “We will correct the mistakes. Two more lists of appointments are expected, and everyone will be given an opportunity,” he said.
Phone tapping
Hariprasad alleged that phone tapping was being used to intimidate Congress leaders and challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s invitation for an open debate on allegations concerning the Opposition’s activities and national interests.
He alleged that foreign powers were influencing political developments and supporting certain individuals, and said a public debate would establish who was acting against the country’s interests and at whose behest.
Recalling the phone-tapping controversy during former chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde’s tenure, Hariprasad said Hegde had resigned when allegations surfaced. He also claimed that his telephone had been tapped during that episode.
“Phone tapping will not intimidate us. There should be clarity and transparency in public life. If there is transparency, there should be no hesitation in facing an open debate,” he said.