Bengaluru, June 23: The Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly and senior BJP leader R. Ashok launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday. He accused the Congress government of failing to provide stable governance and delaying the cabinet expansion due to internal power struggles.
Currently, the government operates under Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar with just 13 ministers, leaving 20 cabinet positions unfilled. Political circles attribute the delay in cabinet expansion to differences within the ruling party. Besides the departments assigned to the current ministers, the Chief Minister is overseeing all other departmental matters himself.
R. Ashok labeled Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar as an “arbitrary academic” and accused him of being adept at political maneuvering. He questioned whether the Chief Minister hesitated to fully expand the cabinet out of fear that it might jeopardize his position.
Ashok asked, “Both Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections have taken place. Yet, Karnataka still lacks a complete cabinet. What can the Kannada people expect from a helpless and ‘rubber stamp’ Chief Minister who cannot even expand his cabinet?”
Discussing the condition of government schools in the state, the BJP leader claimed that over 16,800 classrooms out of 46,174 government schools are awaiting repairs. He stated that nearly 40 percent of classrooms are in dilapidated condition.
He alleged that this issue is widespread in regions like Kalyana Karnataka, Kittur Karnataka, Malnad, Old Mysuru, and even Bengaluru, where reports indicate that over 80 government schools are in dangerous conditions.
R. Ashok stated that students and teachers are forced to attend classes in unsafe environments, where leaking roofs, crumbling walls, and broken windows pose a threat to their safety. He questioned, “Is this the achievement of your promised government?”
The opposition leader criticized the government for lacking ministers in crucial departments. He claimed that there has been no minister for agriculture, school education, and higher education in Karnataka for the past month, leading to a standstill in operations.
He accused the Congress government of being entangled in internal battles over power-sharing and positions while the entire administrative machinery has derailed.
Ashok asserted that issues related to education, farmers’ welfare, and public grievances are no longer a priority for the government. Instead, he claimed that the Chief Minister and his associates are solely focused on maintaining power.
He stated, “School walls are collapsing, the administrative system is crumbling, yet the Congress government is only concerned about political calculations and saving their seats.”
R. Ashok alleged significant irregularities in implementing the ‘Griha Lakshmi’ scheme and accused the Congress government of failing to ensure transparency in the distribution of benefits. Referring to comments from the Comptroller and Auditor General, he claimed that serious deficiencies in administering one of the state’s major welfare schemes have been revealed.
Citing audit results, R. Ashok claimed that 19,020 beneficiaries were linked to a single bank account number. He questioned how funds issued in the names of thousands of women could be deposited into one account and demanded clarification from the government.
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