Mangaluru: The suicide of civil contractor Sachin Panchala in Bidar’s Balki town on December 26 has ignited a fierce political battle between the BJP and Congress in Karnataka. Panchala, who ended his life by jumping onto railway tracks, left behind a suicide note allegedly naming Raju Kapanur, reportedly close to Congress leader Priyank Kharge.The BJP has called for the resignation of Priyank Kharge, son of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing him of being indirectly linked to the case. BJP leaders have announced plans to gherao Kharge’s residence in Kalaburagi on January 4 and have threatened statewide protests if he does not step down.“We demand his resignation and will escalate our protests if necessary. Legal options are also being considered,” said BJP state general secretary P Rajeev.In response, Congress leaders have rallied around Priyank Kharge, dismissing the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. KPCC general secretary Ramesh Margol defended Kharge, calling him a key leader for the Kalyana Karnataka region.“Priyank Kharge has no connection to this case. The BJP’s demand for his resignation is a political strategy to hinder his growth and tarnish his reputation,” Margol stated.KPCC working president K Vasanth Kumar echoed this sentiment, accusing the BJP of exploiting the tragedy for political gain. “The death note does not implicate Kharge. These allegations are an attempt to destabilize the state government,” Kumar said.The BJP pointed out that former minister KS Eshwarappa resigned when he faced similar allegations, but Congress leaders argued that the cases are different, as Kharge’s name has not been directly mentioned in any accusations.As protests and counter-strategies take shape, the political tension over the incident is expected to escalate further in the coming days.
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