BENGALURU: A police complaint has been filed in Bengaluru against Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge over his recent social media posts allegedly linking the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to an interstate ammunition-smuggling network.
The complaint was filed by Bengaluru resident Tejas A Gowda at the Banashankari police station on Tuesday (November 10). He accused Kharge of circulating misleading information on X and attempting to associate the RSS with the seizure of around 44,250 live cartridges in Bihar and Haryana.
The complainant also alleged that Kharge used an AI-generated or manipulated image to suggest a link between the organisation and the alleged illegal arms trade. The image reportedly showed individuals dressed in attire resembling the traditional RSS uniform. The complainant claimed that sharing such content could disturb social harmony and urged police to conduct an independent investigation.
The controversy follows a series of questions raised by Kharge earlier this week after police recovered around 19,250 live cartridges in Bihar's Bhojpur district and another 25,000 in Haryana's Jhajjar district.
Kharge referred to images purportedly showing some suspects in RSS-style attire. He sought clarity on their alleged organisational affiliations. He also questioned how ammunition bearing markings associated with the Khadki Ordnance Factory in Pune entered unauthorised distribution channels.
Kharge had also reiterated his demand for the formal registration of the RSS as an organisation, arguing that this would ensure institutional accountability when criminal allegations arise involving its associates.
The complainant has urged police to investigate the creation and circulation of the image and examine Kharge's social media posts. Police said no FIR had been registered in connection with the complaint as of Wednesday (November 11).
