VHP Criticises Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge Over ‘Money Laundering’ Remark on RSS
Organisation calls comments baseless and politically motivated, says such statements target “patriotic institutions”.
Nagpur (PTI): The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday strongly criticised Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge for his remarks linking the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to alleged money laundering activities.
Kharge, speaking at an event in Bengaluru on Sunday, referred to the RSS’s “network of more than 2,500 organisations” including those abroad, and alleged that “these people are into money laundering.”
Responding at a press conference in Nagpur, VHP national organisational secretary Milind Parande dismissed the allegations as false and politically motivated. He said such statements were part of a strategy to insult patriotic organisations and defame individuals committed to nationalist causes.
Parande claimed that such remarks would ultimately reduce the credibility and public acceptance of those making them. He accused certain political forces of targeting Hindutva-linked organisations due to discomfort with their growing influence.
“What he said is absolutely false, and even they know it,” Parande said, adding that attempts to gain political advantage or engage in appeasement through such comments would not succeed. He further stated that voters in Karnataka should reflect on whether leaders making such remarks deserve to return to power.
During the interaction, Parande was also asked about political developments in Bangladesh, particularly the victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in recent polls. He said that regardless of which party is in power, the Hindu community in Bangladesh must be protected. Referring to incidents of violence following the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024, he described the situation of Hindus in the country as “very dangerous” and alleged that much of the violence had political backing.
Parande declined to comment on the recent controversy involving the Uttar Pradesh government and seer Swami Avimukteshwaranand during the Magh Mela festivities in Prayagraj, stating that the VHP does not intervene in disputes between religious leaders.
Without naming him, Parande also criticised a Maharashtra Congress leader for comparing 18th-century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, calling such remarks surprising and inappropriate.
On a separate incident in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where some individuals reportedly sprinkled cow urine to “purify” a temple after a visit by a Muslim legislator, Parande said that places of worship should be visited by those with genuine faith. Religion, he added, should not be used for political purposes.
The VHP leader, however, refrained from directly commenting on the temple purification episode.
