Ashoka slams Siddaramaiah govt as ‘corrupt’, claims Karnataka administration in ‘coma stage’
Bengaluru (PTI): Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, on Monday alleged that the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is "immersed in corruption", adding that the administration in the state has reached a "coma stage".
He also accused the dispensation of "spreading lies" through the governor’s address.
He further alleged that the "power tussle" between Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar over the chief minister’s post has "gravely impacted" the administration in the state.
The BJP leader made these remarks while participating in the motion of thanks to the governor’s address in the Assembly.
"The Congress government led by Siddaramaiah has sacrificed the interests and prestige of the state in many matters for the sake of political prestige, the quarrel between the CM and the deputy CM, and the appeasement of the high command," Ashoka said.
He claimed that one scandal after another has come to light, development has come to a standstill, and therefore, to "divert public attention, the government is indulging in petty politics" by confronting the governor and the Centre.
"The government has tried to make the governor speak lies in his address by hiding the facts. I thank the governor for the address, but I oppose the address prepared by the government. This government is immersed in corruption. It lacks respect, and if it had any respect left, it would have taken action," Ashoka claimed.
"There is bribery everywhere. The governor’s address is full of lies. This government has no morality," he alleged.
Claiming that Siddaramaiah has lost the assertiveness and grip over the administration that he once had, the opposition leader said, "From a tiger-like attitude in the past, it has now become rat-like."
Ashoka further alleged that officials have stopped working properly amid confusion over the leadership issue. "As a result, the administration has been in a coma for the past year. It is not right to toy with leadership in this manner. It is advisable to conclude; otherwise, the deteriorating administration will not get back on track," he claimed.
He said the relationship between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar has "soured". He also took a dig at Shivakumar’s temple visits, suggesting they were aimed at securing the CM’s post at the earliest.
"This is an internal matter of your party. But since it is adversely affecting the administration, please clarify who will be the CM in the interest of the people," he added.
"Jointly announce that there will be no more such disputes and make the administration more efficient. You have made the governor deliver a false speech about this dysfunctional administration," he alleged.
In a high drama in the Karnataka Assembly, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on January 22 refused to read the state-prepared address to a joint session of the state legislature and concluded his customary speech in just three lines, evoking a sharp reaction from the Congress government. However, the speech was deemed to have been read and was placed before the House.
The governor had refused to deliver the customary address to the Karnataka legislature, objecting to certain critical references to the Centre and its decision to "repeal" the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
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Seventh edition of Bengaluru GAFX to be held on Feb 27
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Monday announced the seventh edition of Bengaluru GAFX, one of the country’s largest AVGC-XR conferences and exhibitions.
Supported by the state government in collaboration with the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry and Startup Karnataka, the event will be held from February 27 to March 1 here.
It is expected to bring together creators, studios, technologists, investors, and industry leaders from across the global media and entertainment ecosystem.
According to a press release, Karnataka remains at the forefront of India’s 'orange economy', where creativity, culture, and technology converge.
The state contributes nearly 20 per cent to the country’s media and entertainment industry and is home to over 300 Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality studios, employing around 15,000 professionals, supported by a strong freelance and gig ecosystem.
The theme for this year, 'Evolution Reloaded', reflects the next phase of growth in AVGC and immersive media sectors, where human creativity integrates with advanced technologies to redefine storytelling, gaming, animation, and immersive experiences.
Addressing a press conference, IT Minister Priyank Kharge highlighted the AVGC Centre of Excellence as a key pillar of the state’s strategy.
The CoE has executed over 200 projects across domestic and international markets, spanning animation, VFX, gaming, and XR.
With the rollout of AVGC CoE 2.0, the government aims to expand access beyond Bengaluru into Tier-II and Tier-III cities, creating a distributed creative technology network across the state, he said.
"In 2024, India saw a 20 per cent growth in the sector, and nearly 50 per cent of the revenue came from Karnataka. We have the required human resources and skills for AVGC here. We have implemented the AVGC-XR policy and aim to create more than 50,000 jobs by 2028," Priyank said.
He noted that several high-budget Indian films, including 'KGF', completed significant creative and technical work at Karnataka’s Centres of Excellence.
The minister stressed that Karnataka has been consistently investing in digital art platforms across districts, not limited to Bengaluru.
The CoE in AVGC has been functional for over six years, he added.
Emphasising regional expansion, Priyank said strong creative ideas are emerging from Tier-II cities, and the government is prioritising balanced development while strengthening Bengaluru’s position as a global creative hub.
The summit will feature sessions on major productions, including 'Kantara Chapter 1', Netflix’s 'Kurukshetra', 'Mahavatar Narasimha', 'Dhurandhar', and 'Lokah'.
Highlights include a book-to-screen session on Indian mythology with author Anand Neelakanthan, cinematography and virtual production sessions with directors of photography from 'Kantara', 'Baahubali', and 'OG', as well as making-of sessions from Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated projects.
The event will also host a dedicated AI-for-VFX track, gaming sessions, VFX masterclasses, comics street, board game launches, GAFX art challenges, and a B2B investor connect, positioning the conference as a key convergence point for the future of visual storytelling, the release added.
