Hubballi, March 8 (IANS) The Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has increased the volume of loans of the state government for the sake of Muslims, alleged Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi.

Speaking to the media in Hubballi on Saturday, he stated that Karnataka’s GDP has exceeded 23 per cent, but every individual in the state now bears a debt of Rs 1 lakh.

Joshi criticised the budget for neglecting the regions of Kittur Karnataka and Hyderabad Karnataka (Kalyana Karnataka), calling it a grave injustice.

He accused the state government of crafting a budget solely for Muslim appeasement and vote bank politics.

He claimed that while the central government promotes “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”, the Karnataka Congress government is focused only on “Muslim Vikas”.

Referring to the ideals of Buddha, Basavanna, Ambedkar, and Savitribai Phule, Joshi argued that the government claims to uphold social equality but, in practice, is favouring a single community. He accused the Congress of following a “divide and rule” policy.

Joshi questioned the government’s decision to reserve contracts up to Rs 2 crore exclusively for Muslims, asking why contractors from other communities were being excluded.

He criticised the government’s decision to allocate 20 per cent of Karnataka Industrial Development Board (KIDB) and Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) resources to Muslims, questioning the fairness of such a move when land is already scarce.

The government has raised the honorarium for maulvis to Rs 6,000, allegedly using temple revenues. Joshi labelled this as appeasement politics.

The budget includes a Rs 50,000 financial grant for Muslim weddings. Joshi questioned why similar support was not being provided to other communities, asking, “Is Karnataka turning into Pakistan?”

While many areas lack cremation grounds for Hindus, the government has allocated Rs 150 crore for the development of Muslim graveyards, he pointed out.

The state has allocated Rs 50 lakh for cultural programmes of religious minorities. Joshi questioned what kind of culture this referred to.

The government has announced financial assistance of Rs 30-50 lakh for minority students studying abroad. Joshi criticised this, asking why students from other communities were being left out.

The budget includes Rs 150 crore for minority hostels and additional funds for madrasa development. Joshi questioned whether the government was monitoring what actually happens inside madrasas.

While he supported providing education and basic facilities for minorities and backward communities, Joshi argued that offering reservations, contract quotas, and wedding allowances keeps them economically dependent rather than empowering them.

He called for skill development and value-based education instead.

–IANS

mka/dan