Priyank Kharge defends his 'village idiot' remark

CH NEWS, BENGALURU Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has defended his “village idiot” remark against Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy, saying he had used a local expression and questioned why he should apologise for it. Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, Kharge said his comment was directed at what he described as Kumaraswamy's repeated allegations without evidence. He argued that calling someone foolish had nothing to do with whether they lived in a village or a city. “Stay 'guggu' wherever you are,” Kharge said, defending his use of the local expression. He also asked Kumaraswamy to apologise for his own statements before demanding an apology from others. Kharge further questioned Kumaraswamy's claims about his rural background, referring to his stay at Bengaluru's Taj West End hotel after holding public office. He also made remarks about Kumaraswamy's political criticism and the role of the BJP and RSS. Kumaraswamy Defends His Rural Background Earlier, Kumaraswamy had criticised Kharge's remark in a post on X. He said he was proud to have been born and raised in a village and recalled Mahatma Gandhi's message that India's soul lives in its villages. Kumaraswamy said rural people should not be insulted and demanded respect for farmers and villagers. He also questioned Kharge's choice of words. The JD(S) leader and party MLAs subsequently responded through posters criticising Kharge. The exchange has intensified the political dispute between Congress and JD(S), with both leaders continuing to trade accusations over their public statements. Priyank defends bus fare hike, questions BJP Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has defended the increase in bus fares, saying public transport cannot operate without fuel. Speaking at Vidhana Soudha, Kharge questioned the BJP's criticism of the fare hike and asked why petrol and diesel prices were not being reduced. “Can buses run on air or water? They need petrol and diesel,” he said. He also questioned the Centre over the benefits of purchasing crude oil from Russia at lower prices. Kharge urged BJP leaders to demand fuel price cuts from the Centre, arguing that lower fuel prices could help reduce transport fares.