In a fiery press conference in Bengaluru, Karnataka BJP leader R. Ashok tore into the Congress government, blaming it for starving departments of funds and sparking widespread unrest. The outburst came amid transport workers’ strikes and Bengaluru’s garbage emergency.
Ashok painted a picture of fiscal chaos under CM Siddaramaiah. “Since Congress assumed office, not a single department has seen adequate allocations,” he thundered. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy stood accused of stalling workers’ rightful claims.
For 38 months, RTC staff have awaited back wages, now resorting to strikes. “Treasury’s run dry,” Ashok stated bluntly. “Legitimate dues overdue—this is sheer failure. If money existed, pay in phases or fully.”
He revealed government foot-dragging: protests prompted partial offers of 26 months’ pay, swiftly dismissed by employees. Replying to Reddy’s barbs about BJP-era dues, Ashok issued a bold challenge: publish 2018 liabilities and his 2009-2013 record.
Ashok didn’t stop at transport. He claimed the profitable RTC now bleeds losses under Congress, dismissing COVID excuses as outdated. The malaise spreads—contractors threaten strikes over unpaid bills, excise groups plot demos.
“Three years of blunders will cost them dearly,” Ashok cautioned. His call for swift resolution underscores deepening governance rifts in Karnataka, with public anger simmering over service breakdowns and financial woes.