Bengaluru: In a scathing political attack, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday launched a state-wide campaign titled “Killer Congress”, accusing the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of turning Karnataka into a dangerous place for women and a haven for corruption.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje inaugurated the campaign at the BJP state headquarters in Bengaluru, flanked by several women leaders from the party. The posters, featuring Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara against a blood-stained Congress hand symbol, accuse the government of negligence and failure to protect women.
Addressing reporters, Shobha Karandlaje said that Karnataka has witnessed a horrifying surge in crimes against women since the Congress came to power. “Over 1,800 cases of atrocities against women have been reported across the state in the last two years. Schoolgirls have gone missing, women are being harassed on the streets, and even college campuses are no longer safe,” she alleged.
ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾನೂನು ಸುವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಕುಸಿತಗೊಂಡಿದ್ದು, ಕ್ರಿಮಿನಲ್ಗಳು ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರರಾಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅವರಿಗೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ಕಾನೂನಿನ ಭಯ ಇಲ್ಲದಂತಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಆ ಪರಿಣಾಮ ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ, ಕೊಲೆಯಂತಹ ಘಟನೆಗಳು ಎಲ್ಲೆ ಮೀರಿವೆ.
ಈ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇಂದು ರಾಜ್ಯ ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಕಛೇರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಕಾಗೋಷ್ಠಿ ನಡೆಸಿ, ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರು, ಬಾಲಕಿಯರು ಹಾಗೂ ಅಸಹಾಯಕರಿಗೆ… pic.twitter.com/BYI9n8Aizk
— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) October 31, 2025
She cited shocking incidents to underline her charge — the brutal murder of a student named Neha in Hubballi, the sexual assault of a woman in Belagavi while the Assembly session was underway, and the rape of a lecturer from Moodbidri brought to Bengaluru by a teacher. “These cases show how the Congress government has completely failed to ensure women’s safety,” she said.
Karandlaje further pointed to the gruesome rape and murder of a young balloon-seller girl in Mysuru, the Chief Minister’s hometown, during the world-famous Dasara celebrations. “The CM’s silence on such heinous crimes shows his insensitivity. Karnataka has become a state where criminals act fearlessly because they know the government is asleep,” she charged.
The Union Minister said that she has already briefed National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar about the deteriorating situation and demanded a review of women’s safety in the state. “The government talks big about guarantees, but where is the guarantee for women’s lives? What guarantee do the citizens have when stepping out of their homes?” she asked.
Karandlaje didn’t stop at women’s issues — she lashed out at the Congress over the alleged corruption involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son, Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah. “Corruption begins right from the CM’s home. His son demands bribes for every government-related work. People are forced to pay money even for conducting the post-mortem of their loved ones. What kind of governance is this?” she questioned.
The minister accused the government of “institutionalising bribery” and said no public service happens without kickbacks. “If someone goes to the CM’s residence without money, no work will move forward. This is a government of bribes and deceit,” she thundered.
Further attacking the Congress on administrative collapse, she said that more than 20 government officers and 15 contractors have taken their own lives under pressure or harassment from the ruling dispensation. “Instead of addressing governance failures, the Chief Minister and his deputy are busy fighting for power, posts, and portfolios,” she remarked.
Karandlaje also targeted Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara for being “ineffective and weak”. “The police department has lost its credibility. Officers are either under political pressure or are protecting criminals for religious and caste reasons,” she claimed.
The BJP leader also criticized the worsening civic conditions in Bengaluru. “People are dying by falling into potholes. Drug abuse is rampant in the capital, and law enforcement has collapsed. Bengaluru, once known as the Garden City, is now the capital of drugs, crime, and corruption under Congress misrule,” she said.
Senior BJP MLCs Bharathi Shetty and Hemalatha Nayak were present at the press conference, expressing solidarity with the campaign and demanding that the state government be held accountable for its “complete breakdown in governance and morality.”
The BJP has announced that the “Killer Congress” campaign will continue across Karnataka in the coming weeks, highlighting crimes against women, corruption scandals, and administrative failures — issues it says have been ignored by the Siddaramaiah government.
