BENGALURU/GULBARGA: Minister Priyank Kharge launched a blistering attack on the Central government Saturday, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of focusing on ancient history rather than delivering on modern developmental promises.
The clash began after the PM’s remarks at the Somnath Swabhiman Parv in Gujarat, where he spoke about the resilience of the Somnath Temple, using its history of reconstruction as a symbol of India’s cultural strength.
Priyank, who handles the IT/BT and Rural Development portfolios in Karnataka, dismissed the Prime Minister’s speech as a distraction from the government’s 11-year track record.
“What do we expect from the Prime Minister? History lessons? Where is the blueprint for the country? It’s been 11 years of only slogans. What happened to Make in India, Skill India or Digital India? They have all flopped,” he said.
The minister said that if citizens wanted history lessons, they would “go to college” and criticised the tendency to brand critics as “anti-national”.
On the issue of tax devolution, Priyank turned his guns at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kerala to kick off the BJP’s 2026 election campaign. Priyank rejected the idea that the Centre should lecture Karnataka on governance, pointing instead at the ongoing dispute over tax distribution.
Priyank demanded the state’s “rightful” share of tax devolution, noting that Karnataka is a top contributor to the national GST and IT returns pools. He said Karnataka provides jobs and builds infrastructure without significant help from the Central government.
The exchange highlights the deepening divide between the Congress-led Karnataka government and the BJP-led Centre. Karnataka leaders have frequently alleged that the state is being “shortchanged” in fund allocations despite its high revenue contribution to the national treasury.