Priyank Kharge defends DK Shivakumar’s Delhi visit

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge defended Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar’s Delhi visit, dismissing leadership speculation within Congress. He said meetings with Union ministers are routine, rejected rumours of political upheaval, and criticised BJP over “Operation Lotus” allegations and media silence

Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister for RDPR, IT and BT Priyank Kharge downplayed the Delhi visit of Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar and dismissed the leadership chatter.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday in Bengaluru, Minister Priyank, son of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge addressing the controversy surrounding Shivakumar’s recent visit to Delhi, maintained that the Deputy Chief Minister had met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and dismissed criticism over the visit.

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“What is wrong in meeting a Union Minister? He has gone to discuss Bengaluru-related issues and development works. Should he not meet leaders?” Kharge asked. He added that even ordinary party workers meet leaders, and there should be no controversy over such interactions.

In a counterattack, Kharge questioned whether BJP leaders would raise similar concerns if Congress leaders met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. “If our leaders meet Bhagwat, will you question it the same way?” he asked.

On the issue of leadership change speculation within the Congress, Kharge dismissed the chatter, stating that such matters are decided by senior leaders like the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and AICC President, Mallikarjun Kharge. “There is no confusion here. Who else apart from Kharge saab should take such decisions?” he asked.

Rejecting rumours of any major political upheaval, he added, “There is no ‘May revolution’ or anything of that sort. April 24, April 25 — all such speculation has come and gone.”

Kharge’s remarks come amid heightened political speculation and ongoing debates over inter-party dynamics and leadership questions within Karnataka and at the national level.

Priyank Kharge also responded sharply to speculation around alleged political developments at the national level, including claims about AAP leader Raghav Chadha joining the BJP and ongoing discussions around ‘Operation Lotus.’

Taking a dig at the BJP, Kharge questioned whether they were unaware of ‘Operation Lotus,’ a term widely used to describe alleged attempts to engineer defections. “Was it not you who introduced ‘Operation Lotus’ to the national stage? Everyone knows how such standing operations are carried out,” he said.

Referring to AAP leaders like Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh, he remarked that those in national politics are well-aware of such developments. He also questioned the silence of sections of the national media on the issue, pointing fingers at what he implied was selective coverage.