BENGALURU: BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka on Saturday accused the Karnataka government of failing to safeguard the rights of Dalits, alleging that incidents of manual scavenging continue even in Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara’s home district of Tumakuru.
In a post on social media platform X, Ashoka alleged that four workers were made to manually clean a septic tank on the KEB Engineers’ Association premises in Tumakuru city. He also referred to a recent incident at the Koratagere bus stand, where a child labourer was allegedly engaged in similar work, and questioned the government’s response.
Ashoka further alleged that Rs 53,059.45 crore of SCSP-TSP funds had been diverted for guarantee schemes over the past three years, that allocations to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe development corporations had been reduced, and that atrocities against SCs and STs had risen, citing 2,277 cases reported in 2025.
He also referred to the recent incident of worms being found in food served at the Jai Bhim Hostel in Chikkaballapur.Claiming the Congress government had failed to protect the interests of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Ashoka urged Home Minister Priyank Kharge to address the alleged injustices faced by Dalits.