'Communal' Remark Backfires: Karnataka IT&BT Minister Priyank Kharge Under Fire As Industry Cites 40 New IT Firms In Coast

Bengaluru, Feb 20: Karnataka IT&BT Minister Priyank Kharge is on the receiving end after he made a sarcastic comment that the communal situation in coastal Karnataka has deterred the investment in the region.

While organisations like CII, CREDAI and Silicon Coastal Program have hit back at the ministers with the statistics, the opposition BJP has questioned the contribution of Kharge family to his home district Kalaburagi for the last five decades, which they have made their `feifdom'.

Took a dig at RSS, said Sangh Parivar scared away firms

While taking a dig at RSS, Priyank Kharge said that the communal rift created by the Sangh Parivar in the coastal districts of Mangaluru and Udipi have uttered the big companies from investing in that region.

The industry organisations have hit back sharply have hit back saying that over 40 new IT companies had established operations in the coastal districts during the last two years alone. In addition to 40-plus new IT firms, it had generated 8,000 new IT jobs during the same period. ``Today, the tech ecosystem includes more than 400 startups, 250 technology companies and over 25,000 professionals. Three home grown tech firms were acquired in the last two years, bringing in total investment of around $ 250 million, with acquiring companies committing to expand further in the region,'' the statement by the industry organisation stated.

Mangaluru ranked among world's top 50 safest cities

They also underlined Mangaluru's position as a national education hub, attracting thousands of students from across the country to its engineering and arts institutions. The statement noted that Mangaluru was the only Indian city ranked among the top 50 in Numbeo's safety Index2026, citing it as evidence of the city's strong safety record.

Meanwhile, the statement also became a political war of words from BJP. Even before the summer set in, Kalaburgi district, which the Kharge family has represented for the last 50 years, is facing severe water shortage. Besides, Kalaburgi is the most undeveloped district in the entire Karnataka.

The opposition BJP has asked Kharge to reveal the amount of investment flown into his Kalaburagi district, which is `communally harmonious'. Opposition leader R Ashok has asked Priyank Kharge to list out the developmental works taken up by his father M Mallikarjun Kharge and himself, who have been representing the district for over the last four decades.

Taking a dig at the drinking water shortage in Kalaburagi, Ashok asked Kharge to concentrate on providing drinking water to his district, rather than trying to find fault with other districts, which are not there.