‘Halal Budget’: Karnataka BJP criticized Congress-ruled state govt’s 2025-26 budget

Bharatiya Janata Party has slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s 2025-26 state budget for appeasing Muslims, terming it as a ‘Halal Budget’, and ‘Modern Muslim League Budget’, drawing similarity with Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s governance in Pakistan.

The state budget has allocated a 4% reservation for Muslims in government tenders and contracts arguing that the move is aimed at promoting economic inclusion and equal business opportunities for minority communities.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari made a sharp attack on the state government for prioritizing appeasement politics.

"Karnataka presents a Halal Budget—appeasement at its peak!" the Karnataka BJP wrote on X, questioning no such provision for other minority communities in India.

"What about SCs, STs, and OBCs? Absolutely nothing!" the BJP said, accusing the Congress government of sidelining other communities while focusing only on Muslim welfare.

Bhandari also accused the Congress government of overlooking Constitutional values by introducing policies and statements that solely favor minority communities.

“In Karnataka, the Congress party has passed a modern Muslim League Budget. In this modern Muslim League Budget, the Congress party is increasing the honorarium of Imams to ₹6000. Waqf is being given ₹150 Crores,” Bhandari was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council N Swamy Chalavadi also criticized the budget and called it a "debt-based" Budget.
Lashing out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Chalavadi said that he played a key role in "rolling back" the state's financial discipline and making it the government with the highest debt in history.

"This is a "debt-based" budget! The Honorable Chief Minister is presenting his 16th Budget. He played a key role in rolling back the state's financial discipline and making it the government with the highest debt in history. 27 per cent debt of income, 18% interest on cost! Congress government - "0" government," Chalavadi posted on X.

“By keeping fiscal deficit and total outstanding liabilities within the mandated limits, we have ensured fiscal discipline for the financial year 2025-26,” CM Siddaramaiah stressed while presenting the budget.

The budget includes various schemes for minority welfare like provisions to modernize madrasa education using smart boards, computers, and other necessary infrastructure to help students prepare for the SSLC examination through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).

Moreover, ₹150 crore has been allocated for repairing and renovating Waqf properties, improving infrastructure in Muslim cemeteries, and constructing an additional building at Haj Bhavan in Bengaluru.

The Congress-led government has also announced the ‘Chief Minister’s Minority Colony Development Program,’ worth an Action Plan worth ₹1,000 crore set to be implemented in FY 2025-26.

Other allocations include ₹100 crore for the overall development of Jain, Buddhist, and Sikh communities, and ₹250 crore for the Christian community’s welfare.

Meanwhile, the BJP and JD(S) leaders from Karnataka including Legislative Assembly LoP R Ashoka, BY Vijayendra and Legislative Council LoP N Swamy Chalavadi staged a protest against the state government and its policies.

The opposition has demanded not to use the money allocated for SCSP-TSP for guarantees and ₹150 crore should be provided to each MLA's constituency.

“The BJP and JDS parties participated in a joint protest in front of the Gandhi statue at the Vidhana Soudha, demanding that the money allocated for SCSP-TSP should not be used for guarantees and that ₹150 crore should be provided to each MLA's constituency,” R Ashoka wrote on X.