Responding to the clash between two groups of students – Students’ Federation of India (SFI) of the left wing and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of the right wing – at the Central University of Karnataka (CUK) near Kalaburagi, Priyank Kharge, Minister for Rural Development & Panchayat Raj and Information Technology and Biotechnology and Kalaburagi in charge, held the CUK authorities responsible for the turn of events.

“I think that the Central University of Karnataka (CUK) is doing everything except for educational activities. I will shortly visit the university. The very purpose of establishing such a big institution is to facilitate the educational development of the region and help the students from this region to grow and develop a scientific temperament. But, the politics which we can see in that university is more than the politics we can see in Kalaburagi.  I had once told them [CUK authorities] to mend their ways and I think they have not rectified their errors. I will visit the university soon. They might think that they come under the Union government. They should know that any Central institution can function only with the help and support of the local government. We have facilitated the establishment of the Central University here to offer quality education and not to open a RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] centre,” he said during his brief interaction with the mediapersons at Aiwan-e-Shahi Guest House in Kalaburagi on Saturday.

When the reporters questioned him comparing senior BJP leader Basangouda Patil Yatnal’s attack on his own BJP government in the past with senior Congressman B. K. Hariprasad’s attack on his own Congress government in the present, Mr. Priyank said that there could be no comparison between the two.

“Mr. Yatnal had clearly alleged that the Chief Minister post under BJP rule is for sale for ₹2,500 crore. He had clearly said that Mr. Araga Jnanendra was the weak Home Minister. He was openly alleging that there was rampant corruption in his [BJP] government. He [Mr. Hariprasad] did not make such allegations. Did he say that the RDPR Minister is corrupt? IT-BT Minster is corrupt? Did he say that this [Congress] government is not pro-people? He did not say anything like that,” Mr. Priyank said, holding that there would be no wrong if a leader raised voice for public cause or his community concerns.

When asked about BJP leader Bhaskar Rao’s criticisms over the Congress government’s Fact-Check initiative to check the spread of false news, Mr. Priyank Kharge advised the former IPS officer read the Constitution of India.

“He [Mr. Rao] had approached Congress for a ticket and he didn’t get it. He then went to AAP [Aam Aadmi Party] and there also he did not get anything. Now, he is in the BJP. He must have forgotten the Constitution of India. In my press conference, I have clearly said in detail how we are going to tackle false news and misinformation. We never said that we were going to amend IPC or the Information Act. We are willing to enforce the existing laws. There is no question of suppressing freedom of expression. If we want to take action against fake news, why should the BJP be worried when even the media at large doesn’t have any problem? Does it have a fake news manufacturing factory? The fact-check is an open process where the fake news is exposed before the media and the people. It will not be a hidden process that BJP and its leaders like Amit Shah often do to cover up their misdeeds. It is the democratic approach. BJP is still worried because they might be afraid of going to jail [spreading fake-news],” Mr. Priyank said.