Mysore/Mysuru: AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent remark likening the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to a “poisonous snake” has triggered sharp reactions in political circles.

Former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha has launched a scathing attack on Kharge, accusing him of speaking in the style of Pakistan’s Founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Muslim League leader during India’s independence struggle.

Addressing reporters in Mysuru on Wednesday, Simha said Kharge’s comments on the RSS were uncalled for. “Listening to him, one wonders whether he is Mallikarjun Kharge or Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The words once spoken by Jinnah are now coming from Kharge’s mouth. It is no surprise that people call him the Jinnah of the 21st century. Kharge today represents the same mindset within Congress that Jinnah once embodied,” he said.

Simha also targeted Kharge’s son and Minister Priyank Kharge, claiming that both father and son were “obsessed” with the RSS. “I thought only Priyank had this madness about the RSS. Now his father seems to have caught the same fever. Unless they criticise the RSS, they cannot digest their food,” he remarked.

Retaining the AICC post

According to Simha, Kharge’s statements were aimed at retaining his position as AICC President. He alleged that by likening the RSS to a poisonous snake and calling for its destruction, Kharge was attempting to incite Muslims and create communal unrest across the country.

“RSS has been nurtured by Hindus. If you call RSS a poisonous snake, you are insulting Hindus themselves. Kharge is not speaking like the President of the Congress, but like the President of the Muslim League,” Simha charged.

He further referred to an incident from Kharge’s family history. “The Nizam’s army in Hyderabad had set fire to Kharge’s mother and sister. Had he been at home, he too might have been burnt alive. Were they considered poisonous snakes then? If Muslims treated your family that way, how can you now speak in their favour?” Simha asked.

More eager than Siddaramaiah

Simha also accused Kharge of being more eager than CM Siddaramaiah to appease Muslims. “We thought Siddaramaiah would go to any extent to please Muslims, but Kharge has gone even further. Compared to him, Siddaramaiah seems moderate,” he said sarcastically.

He warned that such remarks could provoke unrest. “If Muslims, after hearing Kharge’s words, start pelting stones at RSS workers, what will be the state of the country? Is the Congress turning into the Muslim League?” he asked.

Demanding strict action against Kharge, Simha said such remarks were divisive and offensive to Hindus.

He also alleged that Priyank Kharge criticises the RSS regularly to safeguard his Ministerial position and nurture ambitions of becoming CM. “Now his father, Mallikarjun Kharge, himself seems to be following the same path to hold on to the AICC Presidency. This is unacceptable,” Simha said.