Karnataka Congress president BK Hariprasad on Wednesday questioned the reported meetings between BJP leader Ram Madhav and retired ISI Major General, alleging that the BJP and RSS should explain the purpose of the interactions, especially when Madhav is the party’s in-charge in the upcoming GBA elections.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Hariprasad also accused the BJP of distorting Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s statements on the special intensified review (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleged attempts to delete voters under the process, seeking investigations into alleged irregularities in the temple donation fund, and demanded a reduction in petrol and diesel prices in line with the decline in global crude oil prices.
“We are mentioning Ram Madhav because he is the BJP’s in-charge for the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Authority elections in August. What is the purpose of going to Colombo and talking to the ISI in the context of the Greater Bengaluru elections? Did the Ministry of External Affairs outsource Ram Madhav’s foreign policy to India? Was the RSS outsourced?” Hariprasad asked.
Referring to media reports, he claimed that Ram Madhav met a retired Pakistani ISI general in Colombo, and claimed that a similar meeting was held in London two months after Operation Sindoor.
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Madhav demanded an explanation of the purpose and alleged that the RSS and BJP are turning the country’s politics upside down.
Madhav has already rejected this claim.
In a post on ‘X’ on June 27, Madhav wrote: “Completely wrong portrayal. It was not a Track II dialogue. It was the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ annual South Asia Dialogue which was attended by scholars from India, Sri Lanka, the US, the UK, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Even officials have attended this annual dialogue in the past. Track II has not been held with many countries. I did not attend the two-day dialogue. I was invited to speak in one session, which I did and left. Change the story.”
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Regarding the allegations regarding temple donation boxes, Hariprasad said warning boards should now warn devotees against stealing offerings.
He added, “Now a new council must be formed that says: Protect the donation fund as well. Be careful, there are thieves here who are stealing money from the donation box,” wondering the reason for this.
The Prime Minister remained silent on the issue. He also called for an investigation into the assets of a Karnataka leader linked to cow protection campaigns.
Responding to questions about the special intensified review of electoral rolls, Hariprasad maintained that the Congress was not opposed to the practice itself but its alleged misuse.
“We are not against SIR. We are against the conspiracy being carried out under the guise of SIR,” he said.
The Congress state president alleged that thousands of voters were deleted from electoral rolls in West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Hariprasad also called for a reduction in fuel prices, saying the decline in global crude oil prices should be reflected in domestic retail prices.
He added, “The prices of diesel and gasoline must also be reduced. We demand that they be returned to the level they were before the war.”
The Congress state president said that the prices of LGP cylinders have been reduced recently, keeping in mind the approaching elections.
