Bengaluru: Ramesh Babu, President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), launched a sharp attack on Karnataka BJP President B. Y. Vijayendra over his criticism of Congress leader Priyanka Kharge and her family.
In a strongly worded statement, Ramesh Babu alleged that Vijayendra’s remarks reflected “intellectual bankruptcy” and accused the state BJP and the Sangh Parivar of attempting to deflect attention from key ideological questions raised by Priyanka Kharge.
He said Priyanka Kharge has been questioning the existence, registration and activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Sangh Parivar. According to him, instead of responding to these questions directly, BJP leaders were resorting to personal criticism.
Ramesh Babu further alleged that the RSS had yet to provide satisfactory answers regarding its registration and financial transparency, adding that any organisation operating in the country must comply with legal requirements. He claimed that raising personal attacks against Priyanka Kharge or her family would not absolve the organisation of accountability.
The KPCC president also referred to senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, highlighting his contributions to Kalyana Karnataka, including infrastructure development, railway connectivity, highways and public welfare initiatives. He stated that Priyanka Kharge had presented data-driven achievements related to IT, BT and rural development in the Assembly.
In his remarks, Ramesh Babu accused Vijayendra of facing serious allegations in the past and questioned his moral standing to criticise Congress leaders. He further claimed that internal factionalism within the BJP had intensified after Vijayendra assumed charge as state president.
Condemning what he termed as “baseless allegations and diversionary tactics,” the KPCC reiterated that ideological debates should be addressed with facts and accountability rather than personal attacks. The BJP has not yet issued a detailed response to the latest statement.
