Karnataka Assembly: BJP Walks Out Over State Ad on Centre’s VB-G RAM G Act

BJP members also staged a walkout, objecting to the state government's criticism of the Centre and its decision to repeal the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replace it with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act.

The opposition further accused the government of "disrespecting" Mahatma Gandhi, alleging that an advertisement issued by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department featured caricatures of Gandhi in conversation with a man named Sangappa, depicted wearing a white shirt and khaki trousers resembling an RSS uniform, to highlight the alleged shortcomings of the Centre's scheme compared to the earlier legislation.

Raising the issue in the Assembly, senior BJP MLA Suresh Kumar said, "There is a front-page advertisement in all newspapers. The government functions using taxpayers' money."

"If the Congress party had issued an advertisement against the central government's Act, that would have been acceptable. But such an advertisement issued by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department against the VB-G RAM G Act is not right," he added.

"This is a clear loot of taxpayers' money by the government for false propaganda and vendetta politics," he alleged.

Defending the advertisement, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said the BJP appeared to suggest that the state government should accept everything the central government says "with folded hands and remain silent."

He maintained that the advertisement did not violate any law. "Let the BJP point out which law has been violated," Priyank said.