Congress leaders from Kalaburagi, particularly those from the Lingayat community, condemned the BJP for misusing the recent attack on a Lingayat family by Dalit youths at Kotnoor village. They accused the BJP of attempting to project the Congress as anti-Lingayat to gain community support. Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, along with MLAs B.R. Patil, M.Y. Patil, and Allamprabhu Patil, criticized the BJP, stating that it had no achievements to show. They highlighted the BJP’s failure to include any Lingayat MLA from Kalaburagi district in the State cabinet during its tenure.
Allamprabh Patil, MLA for Kalaburagi South, mentioned that Congress leaders had promptly met the victims and assured them of legal action, contrasting the BJP’s lack of response. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge urged people to examine his family’s track record, emphasizing their commitment to social equality and peaceful coexistence among different communities. He criticized the BJP for attempting to divide communities along religious and caste lines for political gain, promising to resist such efforts.