Priyank Kharge said children of senior BJP leaders pressured hostel students in Chittapur to participate in an RSS route march, and he claimed he received threats after questioning the move. He stated that he approached the Chief Minister only to ensure equal enforcement of the law and questioned why legal restrictions that apply to others did not apply to the RSS.
Kharge described learning that hostel students were being called and instructed to join the march, which led him to write to the Chief Minister, stressing that no organisation should engage in such practices. He pointed to a High Court order prohibiting rallies on Bengaluru roads and asked why the RSS was still allowed a route march despite the directive.
He said BJP leaders reacted by verbally attacking and threatening him, adding that his concern was about the equal application of the law, not ideology. He questioned the RSS’s legal approach, remarking that the group sometimes only “informs” authorities rather than formally seeking permission, and criticised the involvement of the Central Government in an RSS affidavit related to the issue.
The confrontation began when authorities in Chittapur denied permission for an RSS march, citing law-and-order risks. After a petition by RSS functionary Ashok Patil, the High Court instructed the administration to reconsider the request and hold peace talks. Meanwhile, conditional permission was granted for another RSS march in Gurmitkal, which proceeded under restrictions such as no weapons or provocative slogans.
Similar tensions arose in Kalaburagi during discussions on permissions for multiple organisations. Some groups asked the RSS to replace saffron flags and lathis with the national flag and the Constitution’s preamble, which the RSS declined. The Karnataka government had also recently mandated prior approval for private entities to use government premises, a move the BJP alleged targeted the RSS before the High Court paused the directive. Additionally, four teachers in Bidar received notices for participating in an RSS march earlier in the month.
