Congress MLA and BJP MP engage on Twitter over college restroom filming case

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge and BJP Yuva Morcha President and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya were on Wednesday engaged in a war of words on Twitter over the issue of alleged filming of Hindu girl students while using washroom in a college in Udupi.

Responding to a Kharge's tweet slamming BJP Karnataka for calling him anti-national, Surya said: "Good to see you fact check yourself as Troll Minister. But it's disappointing to see you intimidate and threaten people for speaking on facts. State power is vested in you to discharge your duties as RDPR Minister. Why don’t you try sticking to it? Your want to be the Law Minister, Home Minister, all at once is silly and laughable. We all saw how the last attempt to muzzle freedom of speech went in the courts. So be advised to cool it down a little".

Kharge, in a tweet response to BJP's Karnataka unit, said: "Your tweet on me and my party is extremely malicious and sinister. You are accusing me of anti national activities. Looks like you did not take approval of higher ups before posting this and won’t be getting Rs 2 for this tweet. This is exactly the kind of news that will be countering.

"'Completely Fake'. Why are you rattled if Government of Karnataka is setting up a fact check unit? Are you scared that your party will fold up if we expose your lies? Why is it that you have a problem with following the law or the Constitution? Why do you get so upset with the truth? Anyway, please answer to my legal notice that you will be getting in a couple of days. Till then you can keep cribbing about me. Between, when are you appointing a Leader of the Opposition? I would love to have a real debate instead of trolling the official handle."

Earlier, BJP's Karnataka unit demanded that Kharge be held accountable for "targeting" of Hindu activists, "standing up for the rights of Hindu students in Udupi".