Priyank Kharge

Congress has 'sense of timing' to resolve leadership issue: Priyank Kharge

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday said the Congress high command possesses the sense of timing to resolve the intensifying "power tussle" between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar. He said the 130-year-old party will intervene at the right time. Speaking to reporters, the minister said Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have agreed to travel to Delhi for a meeting when summoned by the party high command. "Nobody has given any official invitation or statement on the meeting in New Delhi. The CM and the Deputy CM have said that they will go to Delhi if they are invited by the Congress president or AICC general secretary and Karnataka in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala. Let the invitation come from Delhi, then only it will be decided," Kharge, who is Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son, said. Asked about the increasing confusion, Kharge said, "The high command has the sense of timing. It will take a call, keeping in mind the right time." He urged peo

Priyank Kharge denies talks with Rahul Gandhi on Karnataka CM change

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday played down reports that he has held discussions with top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the leadership change issue in the state, during a recent meeting, and has conveyed the latter's message to CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar. Maintaining that the Congress high command will decide and give clarity on the issue of CM change in Karnataka, he said, he met Gandhi to explain about KEO (Knowledge-driven, Economical, Open-source), an AI-ready personal computer, that was launched during the recent Bengaluru tech summit, and to discuss on "vote chori" cases in the state. The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified, amid speculations about chief minister change in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, citing purported "power-sharing" agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023. According to reports Kharge has conveyed Rahul Gandhi's messa

Assam CM, Priyank Kharge trade barbs amid row over semiconductor projects

Priyank Kharge sparked controversy with remarks questioning the decision to set up semiconductor industries in Assam and Gujarat instead of Bengaluru

Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw flags Bengaluru road woes; minister responds

Responding to Shaw's criticism, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge said he was unsure which part of Bengaluru her overseas visitor has seen

US' proposed HIRE law puts Indian IT firms, GCCs in a fix: Experts

This could not have come at a worse time because the IT companies are already under pressure for low single-digit growth for two consecutive years due to weak macroeconomic environment

Priyank Kharge seeks court-monitored audit, hackathon of EVM-VVPAT process

Karnataka's Minister for Information Technology Priyank Kharge has said that the state is ready to host a transparent evaluation of the entire EVMVVPAT process in partnership with judicial and industry oversight. Kharge had posted a copy of the letter he had written to the Election Commission of India again on September 6 on the social media platform X on Monday. In his letter, Kharge said he had written to the ECI on December 3, 2024, as well, outlining concerns regarding the function of EVMs and related procedural vulnerabilities, and suggesting a "constructive solution" in the form of a court-monitored ethical hackathon and audit, backed by the state. "With our strong technology and R&D ecosystem, I had proposed that Karnataka is well placed to carry out such a transparent exercise under judicial and industry oversight to rigorously test the EVM architecture and address public perception issues around electoral integrity," read the letter. He also said that on several ...

Activists involved in Dharmasthala row are from RSS-BJP: Priyank Kharge

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday alleged that the two activists Girish Mattannavar and Mahesh Shetty Thimarody were associated with the RSS and BJP. The two people are accused of being the brains behind the Dharmasthala row involving large-scale excavation following complaints of the burial of many young women and girl students, sources said. Two separate cases have been registered against Mattannavar and Thimarody for allegedly creating and circulating videos on social media, that disturbed communal harmony and offended public sentiments, police said on Tuesday. Kharge, who holds the Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister portfolio, told reporters that Thimarody is from RSS. "Against whom did they (BJP) speak inside the Karnataka Assembly? Wasn't that Mahesh Shetty Thimarody? This person is from RSS. The RSS is BJP's Guru. These people grew up in RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal," Kharge said. Regarding Mattennavar, the Minister said, "He is Bharatiya Janata Yuva .

Promise profits, not land: Indian states need a new investor playbook

India's states should compete for investment by offering better infrastructure, fewer processes, and smarter regulations, not larger land holdings or bigger subsidies

Have right to label content when it enters public domain: Priyank Kharge

The fake news bill is under review, with an expert-only panel and public consultation planned before finalising provisions, says Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge

Bengaluru-Berlin pact to drive innovation, startup exchange: Priyank Kharge

Kharge posted on 'X' that the declaration was signed in the presence of Franziska Giffey, Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises, Germany

Surjewala rules out leadership reshuffle amid Karnataka Congress buzz

Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala's visit to Karnataka gained significance after several MLAs recently expressed their dissatisfaction with the government's functioning

Priyank Kharge backs Kamra, says free speech is foundation of democracy

Karnataka Minister for Electronics, IT/BT, and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, voiced his support for stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra.Kharge on social media platform X, condemned attempts to suppress dissent and reiterated the significance of free speech in a democratic society.In his post, Kharge wrote, "No matter how many attempts are made to suppress dissent, the very foundation of our democracy is built on the right to speak, question, and challenge those in power. True patriotism isn't about blind obedience; it's about holding the government accountable."Kharge emphasized the importance of resistance in a democracy, stating that while authority may try to suppress it, the spirit of democracy ensures that these voices only grow louder."While authority may try to stifle the sound of resistance, the spirit of democracy ensures that every suppressed voice echoes louder than before," he added.He also highlighted the role of the Constitution in protecting ...

Priyank Kharge slams 'Modinomics', says Budget unlikely to bring relief

Priyank Kharge stated that the Centre's policies have led to high unemployment, closure of Small and Medium Enterprises and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and farmers' protests

Karnataka implemented first-of-its-kind experiment with Panchayat Raj: Min

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Saturday the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat implemented the "Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Raj Fellowship" programme. In a post on 'X,' Kharge said that the Panchayat Raj experiment is the first of its kind in the country and was announced in the previous budget. "With the aim of strengthening local governance in the backward region of Kalyana Karnataka, an enthusiastic and talented youth community was given the opportunity to work in the Panchayat Raj system," wrote the State Panchayat Raj Minister. He added that this is a great opportunity for graduates interested in the social sector. "Fellows will need to understand the social, geographical, economic, and administrative context of the Kalyana Karnataka region and become active with the district administration," Kharge said. He stated that he attended the progress report presentation meeting with 44 trained fellows. Kharge added that it was rewarding to learn that these enthusi

BJP demands Priyank Kharge's resignation in contractor's suicide case

The BJP on Saturday staged a protest here demanding the resignation of Minister Priyank Kharge in connection with the suicide of a Bidar-based civil contractor. BJP State President B Y Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, Legislative Council Leader of Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy led the protest. The saffron party leaders gathered at Jagat Circle in large numbers holding placards, raising slogans against the Minister amid tight security presence. As the BJP planned lay siege to Kharge's residence, the Minister decided to counter them in a unique way. Police personnel were also seen deployed outside the residence as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident. "We have ordered tender coconuts, coffee, tea, bottled drinking water for the BJP leaders who will get tired after the protest," a Kharge supporter told PTI. Reacting to the protest, Kharge told reporters that neither he nor the government will succumb to the opposition

Eyeing level playing field to cater to nation's aspirations: Priyank Kharge

The minister for IT and biotechnology and rural development and Panchayat Raj, government of Karnataka, said the state should get its share of such opportunities as it is a hub for IT services exports

Bengaluru has 57% of AI adaptability in Indian ecosystem: Priyank Kharge

The demography is a natural advantage that India has when it comes to talent

Gaming industry can possibly boost employment growth: Priyank Kharge

Calling Karnataka the "innovation and skilling capital of the country," he also highlighted the various centres for animations, visual effects etc., which have been set up in the state

K'taka okays Rs 100 cr 'Nipuna Karnataka' scheme after local job quota row

The 'Nipuna Karnataka' programme, which includes a Rs 10 crore pilot project, is aimed at boosting the global competitiveness of state's young workforce

BJP won't win even 200 seats in LS polls as per RSS survey: Priyank Kharge

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday claimed the BJP, according to an internal survey of the RSS, will not win even 200 seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls and won't cross even eight seats in the state. Accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of "lying", for his recent statement alleging delay on the part of the state government in submission of a proposal to the Centre seeking drought relief, he said Shah should have been the "Minister of misinformation". "RSS' internal survey says they (BJP) won't get even 200 seats. RSS is saying it. In the state, they won't cross even eight seats. How will they win, in fourteen to fifteen seats there is internal fighting (in BJP)," Kharge claimed. Speaking to reporters here, he said several senior BJP leaders are even speaking about the need to cleanse the party. "They (some BJP leaders) are saying that the BJP (in the state) is polluted because of one family. They are saying they want to reinstall the original BJP. Are we (Congres