Congress slams BJP MP’s remark on Dalits, says it exposes RSS’s casteist mindset
Bengaluru: A fresh political controversy has erupted in India after Congress leader and Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge strongly condemned BJP MP Ramesh Jigajinagi’s remarks questioning why a Dalit should be concerned about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), terming them reflective of a deep-rooted casteist mindset.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the controversy began after Jigajinagi remarked, “Why should a Dalit person be concerned about the RSS?” and warned that no one who challenged the organization had survived. He also questioned Priyank Kharge’s competence to handle the Home portfolio.
Reacting sharply, Kharge said the comments were reflective eof entrenched prejudices and castiest bias. He asked whether the BJP MP’s statement reflected frustration over the exclusion of Dalits from the RSS’s inner circles or was intended as a warning that Dalits should stay away from an organization that upholds hierarchical social order or if they mocked the idea that a Dalit has no right to question any entity protecting social superiority.
Kharge further questioned the implication of Jigajinagi’s assertion that “no one has survived” after challenging the RSS, asking whether it suggested that the organization functioned like a body that silences its critics.
The row has intensified the ongoing debate triggered by Kharge’s recent demand that the RSS formally register itself and publicly disclose its legal status, organizational structure, sources of funding, and expenditure. He had also written to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking greater transparency.
Backing Kharge, Congress leader Pawan Khera said questioning the RSS had exposed the “casteist, communal and poisonous face” of its supporters. Khera maintained that Kharge had raised legitimate questions about the organization’s accountability and transparency, and called on the RSS leadership to make its records and documents public.
