Karnataka Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka on Friday, 12 June launched a sharp offensive against Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, accusing the Congress government of suppressing a committee report on the Bengaluru garbage tender controversy and shielding those allegedly responsible for financial irregularities in the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) project. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader demanded the immediate public release of the findings, warning that continued silence amounted to a cover-up.

The Allegations at the Centre of the Row

The dispute centres on the ISWM project proposed for Bengaluru, which the BJP alleges involves a scam worth ₹36,500 crore, with kickbacks reportedly amounting to ₹10,000 crore. Ashoka, who raised the charges at a press conference on Wednesday, described the tender process as deeply compromised and called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. A BJP delegation subsequently met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and submitted a memorandum demanding both a CBI investigation and the dismissal of the state government, citing alleged large-scale financial impropriety.

The Committee Report Controversy

At the heart of Friday's escalation is a report submitted by a committee the Congress government itself constituted to examine the garbage tender controversy. According to Ashoka, the committee was given a one-week deadline to complete its work but its findings have not been made public. '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. He challenged Shivakumar to release the report without delay and let the public assess the facts.

Shivakumar Hits Back, Ashoka Responds

The war of words intensified after Shivakumar, responding to the initial allegations on Wednesday, accused Ashoka of acting as an 'agent of the garbage mafia' and indulging in 'politics driven by jealousy.' Ashoka directly rebutted this framing, stating: '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.' He further claimed that Shivakumar appeared frustrated despite finally reaching the Chief Minister's post after years of political effort.

Cracks Within Congress, BJP Claims

Ashoka also alleged that internal dissatisfaction within the Congress was becoming increasingly visible, pointing to reports of party legislators approaching the high command with concerns about the government's functioning. He dismissed Shivakumar's claim that the Opposition could not tolerate the government's transparency and performance, calling it 'the biggest political joke Karnataka has heard in recent times.' The BJP leader maintained that a government genuinely committed to transparency would not withhold a report it had commissioned.

What Happens Next

The BJP's demand for a CBI probe and the release of the committee report are now the twin pressure points on the Shivakumar administration. The controversy marks the first major corruption charge levelled by the BJP against the newly-formed Congress government in Karnataka, and its trajectory will likely shape the early political narrative of the Shivakumar tenure. Whether the government chooses to release the report — or faces a sustained Opposition campaign — is the immediate question before it.