Bengaluru: Opposition leader R. Ashok launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying the party’s repeated attempts to ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) expose its anti-national attitude and political frustration.

Reacting to Congress leaders’ remarks following an RSS procession in the city, Ashok said, “The Congress tried to ban the RSS three times, even Indira Gandhi could not succeed. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are from the RSS. Most of the governors in the country are RSS members. When the entire nation stands with the RSS, Congress can no longer call itself a national party.”

He accused Rahul Gandhi of being ignorant of India’s history and unfit to comment on the RSS. “RSS is an organization that instills patriotism. The Congress has no love for the nation — it only loves votes,” Ashok charged.

Commenting on the recent altercation between Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and BJP MLA Munirathna during the ‘Bengaluru Nadige’ event, Ashok said, “The program was conducted with government funds, yet the local MLA and MP were insulted by not being invited. This is an insult to democracy and the Constitution. Congress leaders are displaying their arrogance and hooliganism in just two years of power. People have already decided that Congress is an outgoing party.”

Ashok asserted that the BJP’s mission is to make India “Congress-free” and condemned the attack on MLA Munirathna as an assault on democracy. “We stand firmly with Munirathna. The police must ensure his protection,” he demanded.

Ashok’s comments come amid growing political tension in Karnataka after Congress minister Priyank Kharge’s controversial letter to the Chief Minister seeking a ban on RSS activities, which BJP leaders have described as an “attack on patriotism.” The BJP has vowed to resist any such move, calling it an insult to national pride and democratic values.