Bengaluru, Mar 12 (UNI) The BJP and JDS legislators staged a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue on Vidhana Soudha premises here on Wednesday, alleging that the ruling Congress government was misusing Karnataka’s tax revenue for political purposes.
The opposition parties accused the state government of diverting public funds meant for welfare initiatives to benefit Congress workers under the guise of guarantee implementation committees. The protest saw participation from senior BJP leaders, including MLC CT Ravi and Leader of Opposition in state assembly, R Ashoka.
"This is the public’s money. The government is duty-bound to use it responsibly. On one hand, the Culture Minister claims there are no funds to promote Kannada, and on the other, the Cooperative Minister says there are no funds to appoint farmers. Yet, funds are seemingly available for Congress workers," Ravi said.
The protest came a day after chaos erupted in the state assembly over the issue. Raising concerns, Ashoka alleged that tax revenues collected from Kannadigas were being diverted to benefit Congress workers under the guise of government schemes. "The hard-earned money of Kannadigas is being funneled into rewarding party workers instead of being utilized for genuine public welfare under the so-called guarantee schemes," he asserted.
Responding to the accusations, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar defended the government’s decision, asserting that Congress workers played a crucial role in bringing the party to power and deserved recognition. "There is nothing wrong in accommodating party workers in government committees to ensure the effective implementation of our Rs 52,000-crore guarantee schemes," he stated in the Assembly.
The issue of alleged fund diversion was also raised by JDS MLA MT Krishnappa, who questioned the prevalence of Congress workers in key administrative positions. Shivakumar countered that the appointments were made based on merit and necessity. "The people of Karnataka have given us 138 seats. The Leader of the Opposition and other MLAs had also requested positions in committees. These decisions are made in the Cabinet and are not solely my call," he remarked.
When BJP MLA Sunil Kumar argued that his party did not oppose the guarantee schemes in principle, Shivakumar hit back, saying, "From the Prime Minister to BJP MLAs, everyone criticised these schemes. Despite that, we implemented them successfully. These schemes will continue as long as the Congress government is in power."
He further stated that allocating 20% of the state’s budget for welfare schemes was a challenge but necessary to address inflation and economic distress. "People were struggling due to rising prices. Our government took this step to provide relief," he said, adding that BJP-ruled states like Delhi, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh were now emulating the Congress model.
The heated exchange between opposition and treasury benches disrupted Assembly proceedings, prompting Speaker UT Khader to intervene. However, the protest by BJP and JDS MLAs continued outside the House, demanding greater accountability from the Congress government.
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