R Ashoka, the leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Assembly on Monday, accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of corruption, administrative paralysis and using the Governor’s address to wage political battles with the Centre.
Speaking during the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address, Ashoka said governance in the state had deteriorated sharply. “The Congress government led by Siddaramaiah has sacrificed the interests and prestige of the state in many matters for the sake of political prestige, the quarrel between the CM and the deputy CM, and the appeasement of the high command,” he said.
Ashoka also accused the government of misrepresenting facts in the Governor’s address. “The government has tried to make the governor speak lies in his address by hiding the facts. I thank the governor for the address, but I oppose the address prepared by the government. This government is immersed in corruption. It lacks respect, and if it had any respect left, it would have taken action,” he said. He added, “There is bribery everywhere. The governor’s address is full of lies. This government has no morality.”
He said a series of scandals had emerged and development had stalled, alleging that the government was confronting the Governor and the Centre to divert attention. He described the address as politically motivated and said the legislature was being used for partisan purposes instead of focusing on governance and public issues. He noted that multiple Assembly sessions had passed resolutions critical of the Centre.
{{/usCountry}}He said a series of scandals had emerged and development had stalled, alleging that the government was confronting the Governor and the Centre to divert attention. He described the address as politically motivated and said the legislature was being used for partisan purposes instead of focusing on governance and public issues. He noted that multiple Assembly sessions had passed resolutions critical of the Centre.
{{/usCountry}}Referring to a recent episode in the Assembly, Ashoka pointed to the Governor’s decision on January 22 not to read the state-prepared address in full, after objecting to portions that were critical of the Union government and to references concerning changes to rural employment legislation. The speech was later treated as having been read and placed before the House.
Ashoka criticised the state government’s reference to the Centre’s new rural employment law, saying the ruling party was uncomfortable with the name “Ram.” “The Congress government has an allergy to the name Ram. But for Indians, Ram is not just a name; it is an ideal,” he said. He cited the renaming of Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South district as another example, saying there had been no public demand for the change.
He also referred to complaints from contractors, noting that the State Contractors’ Association had alleged an increase in corruption and warned of protests over unpaid bills amounting to ₹37,370 crore. Ashoka said middlemen were active in the Urban Development Department and described the overall situation as worsening.