Karnataka Leader of Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka on Wednesday, 3 September demanded that the state government immediately dismiss two ministers allegedly linked to a 7% commission racket in the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL) and transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The demand gains unusual weight because the corruption allegation was raised not by the Opposition but by a ruling-party legislator.

The Allegation and Its Source

Ashok Kumar Rai, Congress MLA from Puttur, had written to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar seeking an impartial inquiry into alleged misconduct by two KRIDL officials in Mangaluru. Rai alleged that contractors were harassed, threatened, and pressured to pay up to 7% of project costs, purportedly in the name of senior ministers and described as 'KRIDL charges'.

Addressing a press conference, Ashoka underscored the significance of the source: 'Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had said that anyone who takes a bribe should call him. Now, a Congress MLA himself has officially written a letter alleging that an additional seven per cent is being collected in KRIDL and that contractors who question it are being threatened. This is an important piece of evidence as the allegation has come from a legislator belonging to the ruling party,' he said.

Key Accusations by the Opposition

Ashoka alleged that the District In-charge Minister and the concerned departmental minister were collecting commissions every month. He further claimed that approximately ₹800 crore could have been siphoned through the alleged commission system, reiterating his earlier charge that Karnataka had been turned into an 'ATM'.

'If ₹100 is released, only ₹30 worth of work is carried out, while the remaining 70 per cent goes towards commission,' he alleged. Ashoka also claimed — without presenting documentary evidence at the press conference — that the commission trail extended to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a charge the party has not responded to on record.

He cited prior instances of internal Congress dissent: B.R. Patil had reportedly raised commissions in the Housing Department, and Basavaraj Rayareddy had written about alleged corruption in the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB). Ashoka also said he had personally submitted audio recordings and documents regarding alleged irregularities involving R.B. Thimmapur.

Demand for CBI or Lokayukta Probe

'If the state government has any sense of responsibility, it should have dismissed the two ministers. The case based on the allegations made by Congress MLA Rai should be handed over to the Lokayukta or the CBI for investigation,' Ashoka demanded. He noted that the Opposition had previously been asked to furnish documentary evidence when it raised corruption allegations — and argued that a ruling-party MLA's formal letter now constituted exactly that.

This comes amid a broader pattern of internal Congress grievances surfacing in Karnataka since the party came to power in 2023, with multiple legislators and former ministers having raised concerns about governance and fund allocation through official channels.

BJP's 'Save Parks' Campaign in Bengaluru

Separately, Ashoka opposed a proposed state legislation concerning the use of park land, alleging that Chief Minister Shivakumar was facilitating encroachment of public parks under pressure from the real estate lobby. He recalled that a Congress government had enacted similar legislation roughly 40 years ago but withdrew it following public protests.

Ashoka also questioned the state government's tunnel road project, alleging that plans included using space at Lalbagh for constructing a mall. He announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would hold protests across Bengaluru's parks on 5 and 6 September, collect citizen signatures, and submit them to the Governor under the campaign slogan 'Save Parks, Save Bengaluru'.

With the Congress government facing simultaneous pressure on infrastructure corruption and urban land policy, the coming weeks will test whether Chief Minister Shivakumar moves to contain internal dissent or allows the CBI demand to gain further political traction.