The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Karnataka): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raised objections against the Karnataka government, led by Siddaramaiah, for its decision to allocate over two acres of highly valuable land, estimated to be worth in excess of Rs 500 crore, to the Minority Welfare Department. This move has been sharply criticized by the opposition, which has branded the act as “land jihad.”
R. Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka, voiced his concerns to the press in Bengaluru, stating that the opposition would not have raised any issues if the land were unoccupied. However, the controversy stems from the fact that the land in question is currently under the possession of the Department of Animal Husbandry. Ashoka took to the social media platform X to express his dismay, labeling the government’s action as “Congress sarkarada land jihad” in a post written in Kannada.
In his social media outcry, Ashoka questioned the necessity behind the Karnataka government’s decision to relocate a veterinary hospital that served not just cattle but also other animals, to instead accommodate the construction of Moulana Azad/Morarji Desai Residential Schools for the Muslim community in the Chalawadipalya Ward of the Chamrajpet Assembly constituency in Bengaluru. He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of excessive appeasement towards the Muslim community, questioning the rationale behind such a significant land allocation.
This land transfer, finalized by the state government on February 26, has ignited a fierce debate, with the BJP firmly opposing the relocation of a government veterinary hospital that had been treating a wide array of animals. The opposition deems this move as an unjustified concession to the Minority Welfare Department, calling into question the priorities of the current government administration.
