‘More jailbreaks occurred under BJP rule’: Priyank Kharge hits back at Vijayendra over Kalaburagi prison escape
Bengaluru: Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday hit back at BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra over the opposition’s criticism of the escape of three inmates from Kalaburagi Central Jail, alleging that more jailbreaks had occurred during the BJP’s tenure in office.
In a post on social media platform X, Kharge accused BJP leaders of celebrating the incident for political gains instead of reflecting on similar incidents that took place during their own administration.
“The BJP leaders who are criticising me over the jailbreak should first introspect on the failures of their own government,” Kharge said.
Citing past incidents, the minister said that eight prisoners had escaped from Koppal District Jail in a single incident during the BJP government in 2010, and claimed that two of the escapees were apprehended only after 14 years.
Kharge also shared figures to support his argument, alleging that 26 prisoners escaped from jails in 2010, 18 in 2011, 17 in 2012, 11 in 2020, four in 2021 and 10 in 2022, all during periods when the BJP was in power. He questioned whether the BJP was willing to accept these incidents as administrative failures.
Responding directly to Vijayendra, Kharge asked whether the BJP leader would hold his father accountable for the alleged lapses that occurred during the previous BJP government’s tenure.
The minister also defended his own performance, stating that he was discharging his responsibilities with utmost diligence. He further claimed that the Union government had recognised Karnataka as the No. 1 state in Panchayat Raj decentralisation, asserting that the state government remained committed to effective governance despite the opposition’s criticism.
