K’taka jailbreak: ‘Don’t cover up failure with excuses,’ Vijayendra hits out at Priyank Kharge

Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra on Wednesday stepped up his attack on the Congress government over the escape of three inmates from Kalaburagi Central Jail, accusing it of attempting to deflect responsibility instead of addressing lapses in prison security.

In a post on social media platform X, Vijayendra criticised state minister Priyank Kharge for referring to incidents from 2010 while responding to the jailbreak.

“Don’t justify the present failure by citing incidents from 2010. Don’t weave stories to cover up your failure,” Vijayendra said.

The BJP leader also questioned the government’s priorities, alleging that it was focusing on political issues instead of ensuring law and order.

“You have time to speak about the RSS, but not to ensure prison security and maintain law and order,” he said.

Vijayendra alleged that the escape of prisoners from a central jail in Kalaburagi, the home district represented by Priyank Kharge, reflected the Congress government’s administrative failure. He further claimed that the minister’s remarks on the incident were irresponsible and indicative of poor governance.

The BJP leader also alleged that a series of incidents in prisons during the Congress government’s tenure pointed to a deterioration in the state’s law-and-order situation, and said the minister should accept responsibility instead of making political statements.