Bengaluru, Jan 14 (IANS) Reacting to the decision of the Congress-led government to hold a special session on the Centre’s new initiative Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM-G), the Karnataka BJP demanded that instead of VB-G RAM-G, issues such as the drug mafia and alleged steps to undermine the interests of Kannada-speaking people in Kerala should be discussed.

It may be noted that the ruling Congress-led government in Karnataka is opposed to the VB-G RAM-G, a new Central government initiative introduced in late 2025 to replace and modernise the existing MGNREGA rural employment scheme, aiming to provide 125 days of guaranteed work and link it with productive rural infrastructure for India’s 2047 vision.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Opposition Leader R. Ashoka demanded that the Congress-led government should convene a special session to discuss issues like the drug mafia, alleged insult to Kannada in Kerala, and other concerns, instead of VB-G RAM-G.

He said that the state government has decided to hold a special session from January 22 to 31 to discuss the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yojana. A special session should be called to discuss the drug mafia, rehabilitation for encroachers in Bengaluru and similar issues, he said.

If there is any objection regarding the VB-G RAM-G, they should go to the Central government and discuss it, he demanded.

Chief Ministers of all states have gone to the World Economic Forum in Davos, but Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has shown laziness by not going there. He has skipped the NITI Aayog and GST meetings. He did not go to welcome the Chancellor of Germany, which is in the third position in the economy, Ashoka slammed.

As a result, industries that should have come to the state have been lost. But to save his chair, he has gone to greet Rahul Gandhi, he said.

A special session is being held because Mahatma Gandhi’s name has been removed. Even though Gandhi called for the dissolution of the Congress, no one followed it. He had devotion towards cows. When we brought the cow slaughter ban law, the Congress opposed it, Ashoka said.

If Gandhi spoke about the Bhagavad Gita, the Congress opposed including the Bhagavad Gita in the curriculum. If Gandhi said ‘Raghupati Raghava Rajaram’, they opposed the Ayodhya temple. If Gandhi fought for the prohibition of liquor, the Congress government has allowed liquor shops on every street, he mocked.

They give bar licences to whoever pays Rs 2 crore. These people, who do not follow any of Gandhi’s ideals, are now talking about Gandhi. He questioned why they are angry about the name ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Their problem is that a 40 per cent grant should be given. CM Siddaramaiah has now become ‘Pauper Siddaramaiah’. He has taken a loan of more than Rs 4 lakh crore, which is more than all the Chief Ministers combined, he noted.

They are wasting people’s money by holding a session. Previously, names of the deceased were in the employment guarantee scheme. Work was being done through Hitachi without giving jobs to people. Fake job cards were being created. Now, biometric attendance has been introduced to curb theft, he said.

The Congress is like a thorny weed to the state. If improvements are needed in the scheme, give suggestions. Here, names like Narendra Modi or Vajpayee have not been given. There are 240 institutions and schemes in the names of the Gandhi family, including Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, he criticised.

Even though the BJP has ruled for so many years, it has not given names of family members like this. If the Central government gives Rs 17,000 crore, the state government has to give Rs 10,000 crore. There is no cut in the Central share. But changes have been made to give more grants, he said.

The work has been increased to 125 days, biometrics have been provided, and facilities have been given for agricultural work. The scheme’s expenditure has been increased from 6 per cent to 9 per cent, he said.

Due to the government’s pressure, employees are committing suicide. Shidlaghatta Municipal Commissioner Amrutha Gowda removed flexes, and Congress leader Rajeev Gowda called and threatened to set fire, threatening her life. He abused her obscenely. No one has condemned him for speaking cheaply about the woman, he said.

It has been detected that there are more than 2 lakh Bangladeshis in the state. Only the Congress-led government cannot see it. Instead of deporting them, they are showing mercy. A task force should be formed for this and they should be deported. I will write a letter to the government about this, he said.

–IANS

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