Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, on 22 July announced that the BJP would stage a demonstration outside the Karnataka Congress office in Bengaluru, accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the party of exploiting the NEET controversy for political gain while ignoring a deepening drought crisis and the deaths linked to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebrations in the city.

BJP's Charges Against Congress Leadership

Addressing reporters ahead of the protest, Ashoka alleged that the Congress leadership — including Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, ministers, former ministers, and legislators — had decamped to New Delhi for political demonstrations instead of managing Karnataka's worsening drought. He described the Congress's protest near the Prime Minister's Office over NEET as a 'restricted-area stunt' aimed purely at electoral optics.

'The Congress is staging protests near the Prime Minister's Office over NEET. This is a restricted area, and the protest is purely political. Rahul Gandhi has time to participate in these protests but has no time to speak about the 11 innocent people who died during the RCB celebrations in Bengaluru,' Ashoka said.

Drought Crisis: 175 Taluks Affected

Ashoka painted a stark picture of Karnataka's agrarian distress, stating that 175 taluks across the state had already been hit by drought, with only a handful of districts remaining unaffected. He demanded that the state government immediately declare a formal drought and release ₹20 crore for drinking water works in each Assembly constituency and taluk. He also called for the formation of taluk-level drought task forces to respond on a 'war footing.'

'Nearly the entire state is facing drought. Already, 175 taluks have been affected, and only a few districts remain unaffected. But there is no government in Karnataka today,' Ashoka said, accusing the ruling party of governance abdication.

RCB Stampede Deaths: Accountability Demanded

Ashoka also raised the deaths of 11 people during the RCB victory celebrations in Bengaluru, questioning whether those responsible had been held accountable. He alleged that the incident had been 'conveniently sidelined' by the Congress government and criticised Rahul Gandhi for failing to address it publicly.

The BJP leader argued that Gandhi's silence on the RCB tragedy, while simultaneously leading NEET protests in Delhi, exposed what he called the Congress's selective outrage.

BJP's Broader Political Attack

Ashoka declared that BJP MLAs and party workers would participate in the Bengaluru demonstration, framing it as a campaign to highlight what he described as the Congress leadership's failure to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities. 'You have the right to speak in Parliament, but you have failed in your responsibilities. Rahul Gandhi has become an unfit Leader of the Opposition,' he said.

The BJP's protest comes amid escalating political friction between the ruling Congress and the opposition over Karnataka's drought preparedness, the national NEET controversy, and the handling of the RCB celebrations incident — a multi-front battle that is increasingly shaping the state's political narrative ahead of future electoral cycles.