In a shocking escalation of political rhetoric, Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge has publicly described the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a “dangerous virus” and called for the organization to be “purged” from the nation, language that has drawn severe criticism and accusations of incitement.
The minister’s comments were made on social media platform ‘X’, where he also detailed receiving threatening phone calls. Kharge framed the alleged threats as a response to his official actions, stating he had dared to “question and restrain RSS activities in government schools, colleges and public institutions.”
In his post, Kharge invoked historical figures, asking, “When the RSS didn’t spare Mahatma Gandhi or Babasaheb Ambedkar, why would they spare me?” He concluded by declaring it was time to “purge this nation of the most dangerous viRuSS,” a clear pun on the organization’s acronym.
This public outburst follows a formal letter dated 4 October 2025, in which Kharge urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to impose a comprehensive ban on all RSS activities within state-run institutions and public spaces. In the letter, Kharge contended that the RSS’s belief system is “contrary to India’s ideals of unity and secular framework,” and alleged that its activities, including “aggressive displays… while wielding sticks,” could harm children psychologically.
“Letter to Karnataka CM Siddhramaih to BAN RSS”
Priyank Kharge wants to ban RSS!
Dear @PriyankKharge ,
Even Indira Gandhi tried but couldn’t ban the RSS,
Now,who are you ?If you’ve got the guts, go ahead and try banning RSS
If you people continue playing the same dirty… pic.twitter.com/6wAdz2WQPc
— Mahesh Vikram Hegde 🇮🇳 (@mvmeet) October 12, 2025
Kharge’s current confrontational stance presents a stark contrast to his own political family’s history with the organization. Historical records show that in 2002, his father and current Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge, then the state’s Home Minister, visited an RSS campsite in Bengaluru. The senior Kharge, along with other Congress ministers, was reported to have commended the RSS for its social service initiatives at the time.
Little knowledge is dangerous.
During the preparations for the RSS Samarasata Sangama held at Nagawara, Bengaluru, on January 25, 26, and 27, 2002 — the then Karnataka Home Minister, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge (father of Priyank Kharge, who now wants to ban RSS activities in the… https://t.co/xAd0slwlCX pic.twitter.com/XycaBO2vbq
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 12, 2025
The use of the term “purge”, a word historically associated with the violent removal or elimination of a group of people, alongside the characterization of a cultural organization as a “virus,” has been condemned by political opponents as reckless and dangerous. Critics argue that such language moves beyond political disagreement and into the realm of demonization, risking further polarization and violence.
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