Bengaluru, June 12 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Karnataka Assembly R. Ashoka on Friday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, accusing the Congress government of corruption, lack of transparency, and shielding those allegedly involved in the Bengaluru garbage tender controversy.

It can be recalled that responding to the first major allegation of Rs 10,000 crore kickbacks in Bengaluru’s waste management tender after taking charge, CM Shivakumar on Wednesday hit back at Ashoka, accusing him of acting as an “agent of the garbage mafia” and indulging in “politics driven by jealousy”.

Reacting to Shivakumar’s remarks against him, Ashoka said that while the Chief Minister had referred to him as an “agent”, he was an “agent of the people” and represented the interests of Karnataka’s 7.5 crore citizens and Bengaluru’s 1.5 crore residents.

“Unlike commission agents for powerful lobbies, contractors, or the garbage mafia, I am an agent of the people. As the Leader of the Opposition, exposing scams, questioning dubious tenders, and holding the government accountable is my constitutional duty,” Ashoka stated.

Taking a swipe at Shivakumar’s leadership, Ashoka said the Chief Minister appeared frustrated despite finally attaining the top post after years of political efforts. He claimed that the people of Karnataka were unwilling to give the new government a “honeymoon period” because of growing concerns over its functioning.

The BJP leader further alleged that dissatisfaction within the Congress itself was becoming increasingly visible, pointing to reports of party legislators approaching the high command and raising concerns about the government’s functioning.

Rejecting Shivakumar’s claim that the Opposition could not tolerate the government’s transparency and performance, Ashoka termed it “the biggest political joke Karnataka has heard in recent times”.

Questioning the government’s transparency, he alleged that a report submitted by a committee constituted to examine the garbage tender controversy had not been made public despite the committee being given a one-week deadline to complete its work.

“Transparency from a government that is sitting on a report submitted by a committee it appointed itself? Bengaluru is drowning in garbage, infrastructure is collapsing, and taxpayers are watching thousands of crores being handed out through questionable contracts,” Ashoka charged.

Demanding the immediate release of the committee’s findings, he challenged the Chief Minister to place the report before the people of Karnataka.

“If the government has nothing to hide, it should release the report without delay and allow the public to judge the facts. Let the truth come out and let Karnataka see who is fighting for the people and who is protecting the garbage mafia,” Ashoka said.

He maintained that a government committed to transparency should not withhold reports and urged the Congress government to make the findings public at the earliest.

Ashoka on Wednesday sought an independent and time-bound investigation into alleged irregularities in the tender process for the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) project proposed for Bengaluru.

The allegations assumed significance as they constitute the first major corruption charge levelled by the BJP against the newly-formed government led by CM Shivakumar.

The matter gained further momentum after a BJP delegation led by R. Ashoka met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and submitted a memorandum seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The delegation also demanded the dismissal of the Congress-led state government, alleging large-scale financial impropriety in the project.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the project involved a scam worth Rs 36,500 crore and claimed that kickbacks amounting to Rs 10,000 crore had been paid.

–IANS

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