Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition R Ashoka on September 3, accused the Karnataka government of running a “commission administration” and demanded the immediate dismissal of two ministers allegedly linked to a seven per cent commission racket in the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL).
Addressing reporters, Ashoka said Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had earlier asked people to contact him if they came across corruption. He said Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Rai had now written to the government seeking action against alleged corruption in KRIDL, including claims that contractors were being asked to pay an additional seven per cent commission and were being threatened when they questioned the practice.
Ashoka described the letter by the Congress MLA as significant evidence and said the government could no longer dismiss the Opposition’s allegations as politically motivated. He alleged that district in-charge ministers and departmental ministers were collecting commissions every month.
“After Congress came to power, even officials have started behaving like rowdies. This proves that the government is being run through commissions,” Ashoka alleged. He claimed that for every Rs 100 released for development works, only around Rs 30 was actually spent on the work, while the remaining amount was allegedly siphoned off as commissions.
He alleged that the commission system could have resulted in the collection of nearly Rs 800 crore and repeated his earlier charge that Karnataka had become a “Congress ATM”. He also alleged, without providing evidence, that a portion of the alleged seven per cent commission could ultimately reach Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
ಸಚಿವರಿಗೆ 7 ಪರ್ಸೆಂಟ್ ಗ್ಯಾರೆಂಟಿ ನೀಡಿದೆ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರ..!!
ಮಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಕೆಆರ್ಐಡಿಎಲ್ ವಿಭಾಗದ ಎಂಜಿನಿಯರ್ಗಳು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಉಸ್ತುವಾರಿ ಸಚಿವರಾದ ಯು ಟಿ ಖಾದರ್ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಇಲಾಖಾ ಸಚಿವರಾದ ಈಶ್ವರ್ ಖಂಡ್ರೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ನೀಡಲೆಂದು ಹೆಚ್ಚುವರಿಯಾಗಿ 7 ಪರ್ಸೆಂಟ್ ಹಣವನ್ನು ಗುತ್ತಿಗೆದಾರರಿಂದ ವಸೂಲಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಕುರಿತು ಇಂದು… pic.twitter.com/nvXZai5UVK
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) September 2, 2026
Ashoka said the government had previously demanded documentary evidence whenever the BJP raised corruption allegations. “Now a Congress MLA himself has raised allegations about commissions. What more evidence does the government need?” he asked.
Referring to earlier allegations concerning different departments, Ashoka said former minister B.R. Patil had spoken about alleged commissions in the housing department. At the same time, Basavaraj Rayareddy had written a letter regarding alleged corruption in the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board. He also said he had submitted an audio recording and documents related to alleged irregularities involving R.B. Thimmapur.
He said the government should have acted against ministers facing such allegations and demanded that the KRIDL matter be handed over either to the Lokayukta or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), rather than limiting the inquiry to an internal departmental probe.
Ashoka also criticised the government over the controversy surrounding the alleged “purification” of a place visited by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. He said such an act was unacceptable, regardless of who was subjected to it, and described it as contrary to human dignity and constitutional principles.
Responding to questions on political issues, Ashoka accused the Congress of adopting contradictory positions on national issues and recalled his family’s participation in protests during the Emergency. He said he and his family had been associated with the RSS from an early stage.
Turning to the Congress government’s guarantee implementation committees, Ashoka alleged that the administration was creating what he called “ganji kendras” for party workers. He claimed that government programmes and committees were being used to benefit Congress supporters.
Ashoka also defended the BJP’s proposed padayatra, saying it aimed to highlight issues people face, including drought relief. He said Congress too had undertaken padayatras when it was in opposition and questioned why the BJP’s programmes were being criticised as political.
On the proposed amendment on the use of public parks and open spaces, Ashoka accused the government of opening the door to diverting them for non-park purposes. He alleged that real estate interests influenced the move. He warned that allowing even a limited portion of park land to be used for other purposes could eventually lead to demands for larger allocations.
He recalled Bengaluru’s history as the “Garden City” and said the city’s parks and open spaces needed protection to maintain its environmental balance. He warned that indiscriminate reduction of green spaces could worsen air pollution and make Bengaluru resemble highly polluted cities such as Delhi.
Ashoka said a similar law had been introduced around four decades ago to allow parks and playgrounds to be used for other purposes. Still, it was later withdrawn after public protests. He urged the government not merely to debate the proposed Bill but to withdraw it altogether.
He also questioned aspects of the proposed tunnel-road project, particularly the alleged use of public land and the government’s approach towards major infrastructure projects. Referring to industrialist Gautam Adani, Ashoka accused the government of a double standard, criticising Adani in one context while allegedly maintaining close ties with him in Karnataka.
Ashoka announced that the BJP would organise protests across Bengaluru’s parks on Saturday and Sunday as part of a “Save Parks, Save Bengaluru” campaign. Party workers, he said, would collect signatures from citizens opposing the proposed changes and submit them to the Governor.
He urged both the ruling party and the Opposition to come together to protect Bengaluru’s parks. He said the government should reconsider any move that could reduce the city’s green cover.
