Bengaluru erupted in political heat on Monday as Karnataka BJP unleashed a scathing attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Congress government. Leader of Opposition R Ashok, addressing a press conference here, accused the CM of deploying an unauthorized team led by a Superintendent of Police to monitor Deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s activities.
Shivakumar, a frontrunner for the top job, has apparently become the target of this covert operation. ‘This is an invisible SIT,’ Ashok thundered, alleging the team is involved in fund cuts and phone tapping. The charges paint a picture of internal distrust at the highest levels of the Congress-led administration.
Turning to financial mismanagement, Ashok ripped into the government’s handling of flagship guarantee schemes. Congress leaders are now urging affluent beneficiaries to forgo subsidies, a stark reversal from pre-election promises. ‘Siddaramaiah himself vowed these benefits for all, rich or poor,’ he reminded, contrasting it with PM Modi’s voluntary appeal on cooking gas subsidies years ago.
The BJP leader highlighted unpaid dues to contractors amounting to Rs 37,000 crore, blaming the Congress for failing to honor manifesto commitments. Instead of settling bills, the CM is deflecting blame onto the previous BJP regime, Ashok charged. He noted that former CM Basavaraj Bommai had presented a flawless post-COVID budget, which Siddaramaiah should have sustained.
Governance failures abound, according to Ashok. From attacks on Hindus and mounting garbage woes in Bengaluru to revenue department glitches with e-khata, the government is faltering on multiple fronts. Women’s and child welfare funds from the last budget remain unreleased, law and order is crumbling, and administrative issues plague citizens.
The debt bomb is ticking louder, with Karnataka’s borrowings hitting Rs 3.5 lakh crore under Siddaramaiah—more than any predecessor. By term’s end, it could soar to Rs 6 lakh crore, burdening every citizen with Rs 1 lakh in debt. ‘We’re fighting this economic distress,’ Ashok declared.
Congress infighting is out in the open, with MLAs venting frustrations on streets. BJP vows to expose these shortcomings in the upcoming budget session, holding the government accountable for its policy blunders and fiscal recklessness.