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BJP hits back at Rahul with ‘tax chori’ charge in K’taka

Ashoka, the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, launched the attack by highlighting a citizens forum’s letter urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to intervene and direct the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) not to collect property tax from residents.

News Arena Network - Bengaluru - UPDATED: October 21, 2025, 12:35 PM - 2 min read

R Ashoka, leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly - file image.


In an apparent counter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote chori" (vote theft) barb centred on Karnataka, the state BJP on Tuesday levelled a "tax chori" (tax theft) allegation against the party-led government, following a recent grievance aired by a citizens forum to the State Chief Minister.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader R Ashoka accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of "tax Chori" and stated that Bengaluru deserves action to address its infrastructure woes, not excuses and intimidation.

Ashoka, the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, launched the attack by highlighting a citizens forum’s letter urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to intervene and direct the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) not to collect property tax from residents. The forum complained that "unscientific and incomplete" civic works in their locality had led to flooding and poor road conditions.

Ashoka's tax theft allegation is clearly seen as a retort to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's "vote chori" charge made against the BJP and the Election Commission, citing alleged irregularities in Karnataka's Aland (Kalaburagi district) and Mahadevpura (Bengaluru) Assembly segments in the 2023 Assembly polls and 2024 Parliamentary elections, respectively.

"Mr Rahul Gandhi, Bengaluru has a new slogan: CONGRESS TAX CHOR HAI! (Congress is tax thief)," Ashoka said in a post on 'X', alleging that the government is collecting taxes but failing to build roads or fix drains. "Thanks to the apathy of CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar, Bengaluru citizens are fed up and demanding: STOP THIS TAX CHORI!" he continued.

Ashoka called it "unprecedented" in India's history for citizens to write to the CM saying—"stop collecting our taxes until you stop stealing our money!" He added that "Bengaluru deserves action, not excuses and intimidation."

In a letter dated October 13th, addressed to the CM, residents of the Varthur-Balagere-Panathur area, under the banner of the "Individual Tax Payers Forum" — which represents income tax payers and advocates for their rights — alleged that they have been suffering due to "half-measured, unscientific, and poorly coordinated" road white-topping and stormwater drainage works carried out by municipal authorities in their areas.

The state government has recently come under increasing criticism over the poor state of infrastructure like roads and traffic issues in the city, with industry veterans such as former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai and Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw repeatedly urging the state government to intervene immediately.

There was no immediate response from the ruling Congress to Ashoka's charge.

 

Also read: Karnataka to bring rules checking RSS activities in public places

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