Bengaluru: Former Supreme Court judge Justice Santosh Hegde’s recent remarks on a possible ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have triggered a fresh political row in Karnataka.
Reacting sharply, Congress MLC and KPCC media cell president Ramesh Babu accused Justice Hegde of displaying “double standards” by suggesting that while the RSS cannot be banned, the Congress could face such action.
Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru on Saturday, Ramesh Babu — who is also a practicing lawyer — alleged that Justice Hegde appeared to be “acting as an unofficial spokesperson for the Sangh Parivar,” which, he pointed out, “was banned twice before Independence and thrice after Independence.”
He further remarked that it was “ironic” for Hegde to defend the RSS on television while remaining silent on “Sanatanis who attempted to target the Chief Justice of India.” Ramesh Babu questioned Hegde’s assertion that there were “no serious charges” against the RSS, stating that the judge seemed to overlook the organization’s controversial history, including its alleged link to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.
“It is inappropriate to compare Mahatma Gandhi’s walking stick with the Sangh’s baton,” Ramesh Babu said, accusing the RSS and its affiliates of “spreading divisive ideology through nearly 50 organizations operating under different names.”
Recalling Justice Hegde’s past, the MLC noted that Hegde’s father, K.S. Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge and Speaker of the Lok Sabha during the Janata Party government, had been a critic of the Congress and Indira Gandhi. “Justice Hegde’s latest comments reflect the same anti-Congress sentiment and perhaps a sense of grievance over being overlooked for the post of Chief Justice during a Congress-led government,” he alleged.
Ramesh Babu also pointed to Justice Hegde’s 2010 resignation as Karnataka Lokayukta during the BJP regime — a decision he later withdrew following a request from senior BJP leader L.K. Advani — suggesting that his present stance was “a continuation of that pattern.”
“The RSS and its affiliates, agitated by a letter from Priyanka Kharge, have resorted to personal attacks and threats,” he said. “Justice Hegde’s remarks, which echo the Sangh Parivar’s narrative, are part of the same strategy.”
The Congress leader concluded by asserting that Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, should not be “twisted to serve partisan interests,” adding that the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the right of governments to regulate activities in the interest of maintaining law and order.