Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge hit back at BJP MP Tejasvi Surya over allegations linking the RSS to four high-profile murders, challenging the organisation to register itself and disclose its finances. He also questioned its role in the freedom struggle, while Surya demanded evidence within three days or Kharge's resignation.Priyank Kharge responds to Tejasvi Surya. (Photo- PTI) Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday hit back at BJP MP Tejasvi Surya after the latter challenged him to produce evidence within three days for his allegations linking the Sangh Parivar to the murders of journalist Gauri Lankesh, scholar MM Kalburgi and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, or resign.Responding to Surya on X, Kharge alleged that investigations by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the murders of Lankesh, Kalburgi, Dabholkar and activist Govind Pansare had traced the accused to "clandestine networks" linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).Kharge also questioned the RSS's alleged lack of formal registration, membership records and publicly consolidated financial accounts.
Challenging Surya to get the organisation registered, he offered to pay the registration fee himself.The exchange began after Kharge's remarks at a public meeting held as part of the Muslim Youth League's state conference in Kochi, Kerala. He had alleged that people associated with the Sangh were behind the killings of Kalburgi, Lankesh and Dabholkar, and said the cases were progressing.
Kharge had said he would complete the process within six months and ensure that everyone involved was sent to jail. He also alleged that the same forces were responsible for Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.Reacting to the remarks, Surya said the fight for justice for Lankesh and Professor Kalburgi deserved more than political speeches at a Muslim Youth League event in Kerala.
The BJP MP said Kharge, as Karnataka's Home Minister, was responsible for ensuring justice under the rule of law and should not announce what appeared to be predetermined verdicts from a political platform.Surya pointed out that the chargesheet in the Lankesh murder case was filed in 2018 and the trial began in 2022. The case is now before its seventh judge, with all the accused out on bail, he said.In the Kalburgi murder case, only 33 of the 139 witnesses had been examined as of September 2026, Surya said.He argued that Kharge should explain the delays in the prosecution instead of making statements that could indicate how the judiciary should decide the cases.
He said the minister's claim that he would ensure the accused were jailed within six months raised concerns about the fairness and independence of the ongoing trials.Surya challenged Kharge to name the individuals chargesheeted in the cases when referring to the Sangh and produce evidence to support his allegations within three days or resign.He also pointed out that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi continues to face defamation proceedings over similar remarks concerning Lankesh's murder.KHARGE'S RSS REGISTRATION CHALLENGEReplying to Surya, Kharge said the BJP MP's defence of the RSS had exposed what he described as the organisation's contradiction: claiming credit for achievements while taking responsibility for nothing.He alleged that the RSS's organisational structure made it convenient to acknowledge or distance itself from individuals depending on the circumstances.Kharge questioned how cases involving alleged RSS links could be investigated when the organisation had no formal membership register, registered legal identity or verifiable record of its representatives.He also alleged that the RSS had no formal membership enrolment system or publicly available membership list and did not publish consolidated accounts despite collecting Guru Dakshina before the Bhagwa Dhwaj."If you care about the truth, ask your RSS masters to register, identify their office-bearers and disclose their accounts," Kharge said.Accusing the organisation of using anonymity to avoid accountability, he challenged Surya to get the RSS registered and offered to pay the registration fee himself."Get your RSS registered. The registration fee is on me.
Let's see if you have the courage to accept the challenge," he said.KHARGE QUESTIONS RSS ROLE IN FREEDOM STRUGGLESpeaking to reporters after his exchange with Surya on X, Kharge also questioned the RSS's role in India's freedom struggle and challenged the organisation to identify the movements in which it had participated.Citing Tipu Sultan's resistance against the British, Kharge said the Mysore ruler fought them on four occasions during the Anglo-Mysore Wars and lost his sons in the struggle."Who from the RSS or the BJP fought against the British? Those who fought against the British are patriots, aren't they?" he asked.Kharge questioned whether the RSS had participated in the Quit India Movement, the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Civil Disobedience Movement or the Dandi March.
He also asked whether it had attended any Round Table Conference."Show me which of these movements they participated in. I challenge you to show me," he said.- EndsInputs from