Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has sparked controversy with his remarks declaring the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as an "anti-national" organization and pledging that if the Congress party returns to power at the central government, it will use every constitutional tool to dismantle the RSS. Kharge criticized the RSS for opposing the Constitution and promoting a single religion, Hinduism, and questioned the source of its funding, citing the construction of a Rs 300 crore office and its extensive network of schools across India. His statements have drawn strong reactions from BJP leaders, including Ashok Gowda, Tarun Chugh, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and B.Y. Vijayendra, who dismissed the Congress's prospects of returning to power and defended the RSS as a patriotic organization. Union Minister Raj Bhushan Choudhary also criticized Kharge, calling his remarks daydreaming. The debate has revived historical references to the RSS being banned during the tenures of Sardar Patel and Indira Gandhi, with Kharge stating that lifting the ban was a mistake. Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has been active in Telangana and Karnataka, attending political meetings, unveiling a statue of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah in Hyderabad, and launching environmental initiatives such as the "Hasiru Heeje" Vanamahotsava program in Kalaburagi, Karnataka. Mallikarjun Kharge has emphasized the Congress party's commitment to secularism, social justice, and development, while criticizing the BJP and RSS for their ideological positions and governance record.