Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R. Ashoka on Monday, 13 July launched a sharp attack on the state's Congress government, alleging a large-scale female foeticide racket operating across Yadgir and Kalaburagi districts and demanding a probe led by a sitting or retired High Court judge. Ashoka alleged that 16,116 pregnancies had gone unregistered in Yadgir alone over the past five years, and questioned what had happened to those unborn children before their births could be officially recorded.

Key Allegations Against the Congress Government

Ashoka directed his sharpest criticism at Priyank Kharge, the in-charge minister for both Yadgir and Kalaburagi districts — and notably, a minister whose native district is Kalaburagi. He alleged that Kharge had prioritised questioning the registration status of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over addressing what he described as a grave humanitarian crisis in the districts under his charge.

Ashoka alleged that thousands of female foetuses had disappeared in the two districts over the past five years and accused the minister of failing to act against those allegedly running sex determination and female foeticide networks. He further alleged the existence of an organised racket facilitating illegal sex determination and female foeticide in the Kalyana Karnataka region.

Chief Minister Shivakumar in the Crosshairs

The Leader of Opposition also trained his sights on Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, criticising his recent visit to the Hyderabad-Karnataka (Kalyana Karnataka) region. Ashoka alleged that Shivakumar had remained preoccupied with political considerations during the visit and had failed to acknowledge the alleged large-scale female foeticide occurring in the area.

Accusing the Congress government of hypocrisy, Ashoka said the ruling party spoke publicly about women's empowerment while allegedly allowing female foeticide to persist in the Kalyana Karnataka belt. He warned that the government would be held accountable if it failed to act decisively against those responsible.

Demand for High Court-Monitored Investigation

Ashoka formally urged Chief Minister Shivakumar to order an inquiry headed by a sitting or retired High Court judge into the alleged female foeticide racket. He stopped short of specifying a deadline but made clear that the opposition would escalate pressure if the government did not respond.

This comes amid a broader pattern of opposition scrutiny over law enforcement priorities in Karnataka, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) repeatedly targeting the Congress administration on social welfare issues since it came to power in 2023.

e-Swathu 2.0: A Separate Grievance

Ashoka also raised concerns about the Karnataka government's e-Swathu 2.0 property registration initiative, alleging it had become a source of hardship rather than a safeguard for property owners. He claimed that lakhs of property owners in gram panchayat areas had been waiting months to obtain e-Khatas due to persistent technical failures — including server outages, login errors, GPS faults, and software glitches.

'This is not digital governance; it is digital misgovernance,' Ashoka said.

According to him, the technical failures had left property owners unable to sell their properties, obtain bank loans, or complete inheritance-related documentation, while forcing repeated visits to government offices. He urged the state to rectify the shortcomings immediately, clear all pending applications on a war footing, and initiate action against officials and contractors responsible for the alleged lapses.

With the assembly session underway, the opposition's dual offensive — on female foeticide and digital governance failures — signals an intensifying campaign against the Congress government ahead of the next electoral cycle.