Bengaluru, 26 Oct

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to create a separate ministry for IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge, saying that the latter is “least interested in the ministry” he was assigned, a jab at the Kalaburagi district-in-charge’s recent comments on the RSS.

“In the last two-and-a-half years, I haven’t seen the IT Minister make even a single statement on his ministry,” Surya told the press in City on Sunday. “The Chief Minister should make things easier for him. It is not difficult for the Chief Minister to make a new ministry. Maybe the Chief Minister should consider creating a new ministry for RSS Affairs or RSS Investigatory Affairs.” 

Priyank hit back, saying, “Tejasvi Surya has contributed zero to the development of Bengaluru in the field of IT. Can he name one project that he or BJP MPs from Bengaluru have brought in? Why are semiconductor industries going to Assam and Gujarat when they want to come to Bengaluru? What is there in Gujarat and Assam? Is there talent there?"

Priyank had earlier urged Siddaramaiah to prohibit RSS activities in government institutions, alleging that the organisation was "brainwashing young minds" and promoting a "philosophy against the Constitution."