Focus on governance, L&O instead of targeting the RSS, Priyank Kharge told

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says threatening the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with a pen drive to force his resignation is a sign of degradation of politics in the State.

Union Minister for Education Pralhad Joshi on Friday urged Home Minister Priyank Kharge to focus on governance and law and order instead of targeting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Speaking to presspersons in Hubballi on Friday, Mr Joshi reacted to Mr. Kharge’s remarks on RSS route march saying that such route march are being organised from the time of Mr. Kharge’s father, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and they continued to be organised during the tenures of several Home Ministers, including now Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, in the State.

Mr. Joshi said that the Home Minister should refrain from politicising the issue and demonstrate responsibility by addressing pressing issues in the State. Questions relating to the RSS should be answered by the organisation itself, he added.

Pointing to the drought situation, deteriorating law and order and the lack of development works in the State, he said that the D.K. Shivakumar-led Congress government should focus on these issues rather than behave as though it has no other work.

Expressing concern over reports that the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was threatened with a pen drive to force his resignation, Mr. Joshi said that the development is shocking and that it has tarnished the dignity of Karnataka’s political discourse.

His political differences with Mr. Siddaramaiah notwithstanding, he said that threatening a senior leader with a pen drive to force his resignation is a sign of degradation of politics in the State.

Mr. Joshi urged the Congress high command to clarify who is behind the controversy surrounding the threat to Mr. Siddaramaiah, which has now triggered a political debate in the State.

Mr. Joshi also urged the State government to take stringent measures against the use and sale of kite-flying manja, citing reports of fatalities linked to the material.

He suggested setting up a dedicated portal to monitor the sale and use of manja and called for close surveillance by the police to identify suppliers and users, arrest those responsible and initiate legal action.