‘If you have taken credit for building Ram Mandir, take credit for ‘chanda chori’: Home minister Priyank Kharge slams RSS

BENGALURU: Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday took a jibe at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying that if they have taken the credit of Ram Mandir establishment, the Sangh should also take responsibility for the donation theft.

Speaking to media persons, Kharge also raised questions over the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Demanding the names of the ‘thieves’ to be revealed, he challenged RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for an open press conference.

“If you have taken credit for building the Ram Mandir, you should also take credit for ‘chanda chori’. How much of it has come to you since you are not registered and you take ‘Dakshina’? Instead of having discussions in an echo chamber, please come out in public. Tell us who the thieves are, how many you have received, and why you and the Prime Minister are silent? One open press conference, I challenge Mohan Bhagwat and the rest of them”, he said.

This comes amid the alleged embezzlement in Ram Temple donations, which has stirred a nationwide controversy.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge says, “… If you have taken credit for building the Ram Mandir, you should also take credit for ‘chanda chori’. How much of it has come to you since you are not… pic.twitter.com/wI7XXETNtz

— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2026

Moreover, Kharge slammed PM Modi over the ongoing irregularities in various exams. He mocked the Prime Minister, asking when he would do “‘NEET paper leak pe charcha’ or “OSM pe charcha,” similar to PM Modi’s “Pariksha Pe Charcha” initiative.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge says, “Lakhs of students have had to face very tough times because of the incompetence of the government… Who is answerable? Where is Dharmendra Pradhan? Why has he not resigned? In the last 10 years, close to 90 paper… pic.twitter.com/1c2VJ6Xgnk

— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2026

The minister highlighted that around 90 papers have been leaked in the past 10 years. “Lakhs of students have had to face very tough times because of the incompetence of the government. Who is answerable? Where is Dharmendra Pradhan? Why has he not resigned? In the last 10 years, close to 90 paper leaks have happened, and the government is not even bothered about it. Is this the way you treat the future of India? Is this the way you treat the demography which is supposed to build Viksit Bharat? While the Prime Minister is so keen on doing ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha,’ when will he do ‘NEET paper leak pe charcha’? ‘OSM pe charcha?'” he questioned.

These remarks came as the nation witnessed serious discrepancies in competitive exams like the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak, the cancellation of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) after an alleged paper leak, and On-Screen Marking (OSM) discrepancies in evaluated CBSE answer sheets. (ANI)