Kumaraswamy cannot tolerate a Dalit like me making political progress: Priyank Kharge

Home, IT-BT and e-Governance Minister Priyank Kharge. File. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday (October 18, 2026) accused Union Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy of being unable to tolerate the political and social progress of Dalits.Reacting sharply to Mr. Kumaraswamy’s remarks targeting him, Mr. Kharge said his attire and ability to speak English appeared to have become sources of irritation for the JD(S) leader.“If my wearing a suit is intolerable to Mr. Kumaraswamy, I will get 10 suits stitched and wear them. If my speaking English is intolerable to him, I will continue speaking English. He can become a film producer and a real estate businessman. However, he cannot tolerate a Dalit like me making political progress,” Mr. Kharge said at a press conference in Kalaburagi.Responding to Mr. Kumaraswamy’s padayatra, Mr. Kharge alleged that the former Chief Minister had never undertaken such marches in the public interest.“Let him undertake padayatras and remain healthy. Let him release the evidence relating to the alleged sting operation targeting former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Let the people know who was behind it. The needle of suspicion is pointing towards him, which is why he is doing all this,” he said.Mr. Kharge alleged that Mr. Kumaraswamy had never undertaken a padayatra for farmers or women, nor had he raised issues concerning Karnataka before the Union government. He accused the JD(S) leader of undertaking such activities solely for personal interests.“A person who has lied to his own family several times and later apologised in the Assembly cannot tell the truth to the people,” he said.When asked about Mr. Kumaraswamy’s allegation that JD(S) activists were being targeted in the investigation into the alleged sting operation involving Mr. Siddaramaiah, Mr. Kharge said the police could not be expected to halt their investigation merely because the suspects were JD(S) activists.“Should the police refrain from issuing notices and summoning suspects for questioning just because they are JD(S) activists? Mr. Kumaraswamy insists that the police should investigate the matter. But when they begin the investigation, he accuses them of targeting his party activists. The police conduct their investigation impartially and do not function according to the way Mr. Kumaraswamy wants them to,” Mr. Kharge said.Reacting to Mr. Kumaraswamy’s objection to Mr. Kharge and his father, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, contesting elections from constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes, the Home Minister questioned whether society was mature enough to elect Dalit candidates from general constituencies.“President Droupadi Murmu was not allowed into a temple because she was a tribal woman. A purification ritual was conducted at a place in Uttarakhand after Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit leader, addressed a public meeting. This is the mindset of our society which forces Dalits to contest elections from the constituencies reserved for them,” he said.MLC Jagadev Guttedar, GESCOM chairman Praveen Patil Harwal, District Congress Committee president Kiran Deshmukh and other Congress leaders were present. Published - October 18, 2026 03:02 pm IST