Bengaluru, May 19 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress government over its three-year anniversary celebrations in Tumakuru, questioning the achievements of the administration and accusing it of ‘corruption’, ‘financial mismanagement’ and ‘administrative failure’.
Addressing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in a statement, he targeted the government over the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.
He claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had attached properties worth nearly Rs 100 crore, including assets allegedly linked to associates close to the Chief Minister.
He further alleged that the government had spent Rs 3.16 crore from the state exchequer towards legal fees to prevent a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter. It can be noted that CM Siddaramaiah is named as the accused number one in the MUDA scam.
Ashoka asked whether the government was aware of the “real condition” of Karnataka while organising grand celebrations to mark three years in office.
“Which great achievement are you celebrating?” he questioned.
Ashoka alleged that the Congress government had pushed the state into severe financial distress. He claimed that Karnataka’s debt burden had crossed Rs 8 lakh crore and alleged that the 2025-26 budget proposed fresh borrowings of Rs 1.50 lakh crore. According to him, every Kannadiga was burdened with debt exceeding Rs 1 lakh.
The BJP leader also accused the Congress government of pushing electricity supply companies into a debt crisis. He claimed that Electricity Supply Companies (ESCOMs) in the state were burdened with debts of Rs 42,750 crore, including dues of Rs 6,211 crore from Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) alone.
Ashoka further alleged that the Public Works Department (PWD) had awarded road project tenders worth Rs 10,000 crore in Hoskote and Malur to a company facing a CBI investigation. He questioned the government’s claims of transparency in administration.
Referring to an alleged scam in the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) office in Ballari, he claimed that Rs 16 crore had been illegally diverted through fake cheques and bank transactions. He alleged that the incident was another addition to a series of scams, including the Valmiki Corporation, MUDA and Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) controversies.
The BJP leader also accused the Congress government of attempting to suppress the Opposition and critics. He said the state government had filed a defamation case against the BJP over its “two years of failure” chargesheet and alleged that cases were being registered against social media critics, which, according to him, amounted to stifling democracy.
On farmers’ issues, Ashoka alleged that the government had failed to respond to protests by sugarcane and maize growers. He claimed that farmers were forced to run from office to office for years without getting their work done and alleged that some farmers had been driven to extreme distress.
The BJP leader also referred to the wall collapse incident at the Bowring Hospital complex in Bengaluru on April 29, in which seven persons, including three children, lost their lives. He alleged that the Lokayukta had termed the incident a result of “misgovernance” and accused the government of negligence in maintaining public hospitals.
He further alleged that government hospitals in the state were suffering due to shortage of medicines, doctors and scanning facilities, pushing poor patients into hardship.
Ashoka concluded by alleging that while people across the state were facing hardships, the Congress government was spending public money to operate around 4,000 buses for the anniversary celebrations. He asserted that the people of Karnataka would “teach the government a fitting lesson.”
It can be noted that over 2 lakh people are expected to attend the mega state-level convention in Tumakuru today (May 19), which is being held to commemorate the third anniversary of the Congress government’s administration in Karnataka.
The convention—officially titled the Sadhana Samavesha—focusses on state achievements, virtual inaugurations, and the distribution of land title deeds to around 1.52 lakh beneficiaries. The Congress government is completing three years at office on May 20.
–IANS
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