Political Storm Erupts as KPCC Leader Accuses Chalavadi Narayanaswamy of Undermining Constitutional Office; Union Budget 2026–27 SC/ST Figures Enter DebateBengaluru: A sharp political confrontation has erupted in Karnataka after the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, allegedly stated that he would set the State Budget document on fire, drawing strong condemnation from the Congress.
In a strongly worded statement, KPCC Media & Communication Chairman and MLC Ramesh Babu accused the Opposition leader of diminishing the dignity of a constitutional post and engaging in “provocative rhetoric” instead of constructive scrutiny of governance.
Allegation of Disruptive Conduct in the Council
The controversy comes weeks after an earlier incident on January 28, 2026, when Narayanaswamy reportedly tore a rule book inside the Legislative Council during proceedings. The Congress now alleges that his recent remarks about burning the Budget document further erode parliamentary decorum.
Ramesh Babu stated that in a democratic system, Leaders of the Opposition are accorded special constitutional recognition and are expected to hold the government accountable through debate and policy critique, not confrontation.
“Instead of raising substantive issues concerning the State, such statements bring disrepute to the constitutional office he occupies,” Ramesh Babu said.
Political Targeting and Personal Allegations
The Congress leader further accused Narayanaswamy of repeatedly targeting the family of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, and specifically Minister Priyanka Kharge, in what he described as attempts to sustain political relevance within the BJP.
The statement alleged that rather than confronting policies at the national level, Narayanaswamy had chosen to focus on the State Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Union Budget 2026–27 SC/ST Allocations Cited
The debate has also expanded to the allocation of funds for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under the Union Budget 2026–27, presented on February 1, 2026.
As per Statement 10A and Statement 10B of the Expenditure Budget:
This includes expenditures earmarked for social justice, education, rural development, housing, scholarships, and livelihood initiatives. The allocation represents the consolidated total of all central government expenditures marked for SC welfare, rather than a single standalone scheme.
This covers tribal education, scholarships, infrastructure, livelihood programmes, and other tribal development initiatives across departments.
Breakdown of Targeted Scheme Components
Within the broader allocation:
- SC Welfare
- Total Allocation: Rs. 1,96,400 crore
- Targeted Scheme Portion: Rs. 75,077 crore
- Approximate Share: 4.5 per cent of total eligible funding
- Total Allocation: Rs. 1,41,089 crore
- Targeted Scheme Portion: Rs. 62,093 crore
- Approximate Share: 3.7 per cent of total eligible funding
These targeted scheme portions represent funds directly earmarked for SC and ST-specific programmes within the larger eligible pool of Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
SCP and TSP Model Debate
The Congress statement also highlighted that the Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka had implemented the Special Component Plan, SCP, and Tribal Sub-Plan, TSP, as a structured budgeting model, claiming it set a benchmark for other states. It alleged that the BJP governments at the Centre and elsewhere had not replicated similar frameworks with the same intensity.
The BJP has not yet issued a detailed response to the latest allegations at the time of publication.
