'Take Money From Hindu Temples For Non-Hindu Faiths': Tejasvi Surya On Karnataka Budget

Karnataka Leader of Opposition and BJP leader R Ashok criticized the budget by branding it as "bogus".

During his budget speech, Siddaramaiah said the state has allocated significant funds for women and child welfare in the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. ( Image Source :X/@PTI )

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented the state budget for 2024 sparking contrasting reactions from political parties in the state. While Congress leader RV Deshpande affirmed the government's commitment to its promises, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka and BJP leader R Ashok criticized the budget by branding it as "bogus" .

Siddaramaiah, who holds the finance portfolio, delivered the budget presentation for the 15th time. During his budget speech, he said the state has allocated significant funds for women and child welfare in the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. A whopping Rs 86,423 crore has been earmarked for women's welfare initiatives, while Rs 54,617 crore has been allocated for child welfare programs. Additionally, in a move to enhance accessibility and mobility, the CM announced plans to distribute two-wheelers in the fiscal year 2024-25 to 1,500 specially-abled individuals who are yet to receive motorized two-wheelers.

On the budget, Tejasvi Surya said, "To take money from the Hindu temples and use it to fund the religious institutions of non Hindu faiths is the standard SOP of ‘secular’ leaders like Siddharamiah. Secularism as practiced by them is not just a stick to brow beat the Hindu, it is also a tool to financially enrich others at the cost of the Hindu."

During the budget session, BJP MLAs also staged a protest at Vidhan Soudha. Further, they staged a walkout of the state Assembly during the budget presentation signaling their dissatisfaction with the proposals put forth by the government.

Ahead of CM presenting the budget, LoP Karnataka and BJP leader R Ashok said, " It is a bogus budget, govt is in a poor stage. This is an election budget."

Later, he added, "Overall, the budget presented by the Chief Minister @siddaramaiah today is a very boring, non-developmental, non-visionary budget."