Bengaluru, May 24 (UNI) Senior Congress leader and Karnataka Minister, Priyank Kharge, on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the BJP over allegations surrounding political donations, defending contributions made to the party-linked National Herald as legal and transparent, while accusing the RSS of operating within an "opaque ecosystem".
"If someone doesn’t donate to party organisations, should they donate to the RSS instead?" Kharge questioned, taking aim at the Sangh Parivar.
He also asked whether the rise of BJP stalwarts like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was linked to donations made to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Addressing reporters here, Kharge said, "These are legitimate, traceable banking transactions. The money has been earned legally, transferred legally, and received legally. So where is the scope for money laundering? Under which rule is such a donation deemed illegal?"
His remarks come a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary chargesheet in the National Herald money laundering case, naming Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and his brother, Congress MP D K Suresh, alongside Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The charges pertain to a Rs 2.5 crore donation made to Young Indian.
Shivakumar had on Friday confirmed that both he and his brother had donated Rs 25 lakh each to National Herald, reiterating that the contributions were made openly and in accordance with the law. He suggested that political motives lay behind the ED’s move to include their names in the case.
In a scathing rebuttal to the BJP’s line of attack, Kharge said, "If donations are the basis for political elevation, can I then say someone became the Leader of the Opposition because they donated to the RSS? Shouldn’t the same logic apply to everyone?"
He alleged that the ruling party was attempting to divert attention from uncomfortable questions being raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on national security and foreign policy.
"Look at the timing. As soon as Rahul Gandhi questioned the repeated attacks on pilgrims, the outsourcing of foreign policy to Donald Trump, and the Prime Minister's silence on Make in India, trade tariffs and ceasefire violations, the spotlight was suddenly turned to donations," he said.
Referring to recent incidents of terrorist infiltration, Kharge said, "Four terrorists entered 250 kilometres into Indian territory and killed 26 people. Nobody knows where they went. Where is our Home Minister? Where is your James Bond (Ajit Doval)?"
The Congress minister also took a dig at Prime Minister Modi's globetrotting diplomacy. "He has travelled to over 100 countries and hugged more than 200 global leaders. But what diplomatic outcome has this yielded? Not one country stood with India when we needed them the most."
Kharge charged the Modi government with failure on both foreign policy and national security fronts. "If our foreign policy had any weight, we wouldn’t have to send delegations to label Pakistan a terror state — the world would already know," he remarked.
He also questioned the timing of the allegations, asking whether they were deliberately brought up to coincide with the birthday of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“Is the Opposition not allowed to raise questions just because it’s someone’s birthday?” he quipped.
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