Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, R. Ashoka, on Saturday alleged irregularities in the Gruha Lakshmi scheme of the Karnataka government, citing findings reportedly highlighted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and demanded a CBI probe.
Questioning the credibility of the government's welfare programmes, Ashoka termed the state's much-publicised "guarantee model" as a "Graft-antee Model," alleging large-scale financial irregularities and administrative lapses in the implementation of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme.
Referring to the reported audit, Ashoka claimed that Rs 46.52 crore had been disbursed without capturing beneficiaries' bank account details.
He also alleged that 19,020 beneficiaries were linked to identical bank account numbers, raising concerns over the possibility of ghost beneficiaries and fraudulent transactions.
The BJP leader further alleged that more than 10 lakh beneficiary records had been altered multiple times, making the system vulnerable to manipulation and misuse. According to him, these findings raise serious questions about the transparency and accountability of the scheme.
Taking aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Ashoka said the party has been projecting Karnataka's guarantee programmes as a governance model for the rest of the country. He alleged that the revelations expose major flaws in the implementation of the welfare scheme and undermine the party's claims of delivering effective governance.
Ashoka also targeted Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, stating that despite red flags reportedly being raised in January 2026, no corrective action had been taken.
"The people of Karnataka deserve answers on where taxpayers' money has gone and who benefited from these irregularities," Ashoka said, adding that the alleged lapses indicate systemic failures in the administration of the scheme.
Demanding a comprehensive investigation, the BJP leader called for an independent enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged irregularities.
He asserted that the BJP would continue to press for accountability and would not allow public funds to be misused.
The government is yet to issue response to Ashoka's allegations.
