Congress minister Priyank Kharge, known for his verbose speeches on subjects ranging from foreign policy to military strategy, is now facing backlash for his glaring administrative failures in his own backyard — the Kalyana Karnataka region. Former Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashok has strongly condemned Kharge, calling him a “minister of words, not action,” after the latter admitted that 38 villages in Kalyana Karnataka lack bus services, depriving women of the benefits of the state’s flagship Shakti Yojana.
In a scathing post on social media platform X, Ashok lashed out at Kharge’s remarks, questioning whether the minister even realises that people in these villages are forced to travel in private cars, auto-rickshaws, and jeeps at double the cost of government bus fares. He accused Kharge of being disconnected from ground realities. He said his only accomplishment has been “winning votes by playing identity politics” while the region continues to languish under poor infrastructure and a lack of basic amenities.
“Your only achievement, Priyank, is enjoying the power earned from the votes of the Kalyana Karnataka people while ensuring welfare only for your own family,” Ashok stated.
Ashok further warned that Kharge’s habit of diverting attention through controversies about the RSS will no longer fool the people. “The day is not far when the people of Kalyana Karnataka will banish the Kharge family and the Congress party from their political map,” he said, adding that the Congress government’s incompetence has hurt not just rural development but also the global image of Bengaluru.
ಕಲಬುರಗಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಉಸ್ತುವಾರಿ ಸಚಿವ @PriyankKharge ಅವರೇ,
❌ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ 38 ಗ್ರಾಮದ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರಿಗೆ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಯೋಜನೆಯಿಂದ ಯಾವುದೇ ಪ್ರಯೋಜನವಿಲ್ಲ
❌ಯಾಕೆ ಪ್ರಯೋಜನವಿಲ್ಲ ಅಂದರೆ 38 ಗ್ರಾಮಗಳಿಗೆ ಬಸ್ಸೇ ಇಲ್ಲ
❌ಬಸ್ಸು ಯಾಕಿಲ್ಲ ಅಂದರೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಯೋಗ್ಯ ರಸ್ತೆಯೇ ಇಲ್ಲ
ವಿದೇಶಾಂಗ ನೀತಿಯಿಂದ ಹಿಡಿದು ಮಿಲಿಟರಿ ತಂತ್ರಗಾರಿಕೆವರೆಗೆ… pic.twitter.com/08kQZX35Yl
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) November 4, 2025
Ashok also criticised Kharge for ignoring Bengaluru’s crumbling civic infrastructure, especially at a time when the Bengaluru Tech Summit, an international event that attracts delegates and investors from around the world, is just around the corner.
“I am glad that Minister Priyank Kharge has finally remembered that he has a portfolio of responsibility beyond making political statements,” Ashok mocked. “He should immediately write to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar demanding repairs to the city’s pothole-ridden, garbage-strewn roads, which foreign delegates will have to travel on during the Tech Summit.”
Ashok questioned whether the Congress government could guarantee that the Bengaluru Tech Summit would not turn into another “global embarrassment” for the city, given the abysmally poor state of urban infrastructure.
The senior BJP leader did not mince words in accusing the Congress government of destroying Bengaluru’s reputation as a global tech hub.
“For the last two and a half years, this incompetent Congress administration has done nothing but ruin Bengaluru’s infrastructure,” Ashok said. “It has worsened the traffic crisis, scared away investors, and tarnished the city’s international brand image by creating an atmosphere of uncertainty, fear, and hostility towards startups.”
He reminded that the global tech community once looked to Bengaluru as a symbol of innovation and efficiency. Still, under Congress’s rule, it is now being remembered for potholes, protests, and pollution.
Ashok demanded that the government take urgent action to restore the city’s dignity before the world’s technology leaders arrive for the summit. “People expect the government to wake up and fix the roads, not the blame,” he said.
