Bengaluru, January 30, 2026 – Political tensions escalated in Karnataka as the ruling Congress government and the opposition BJP traded sharp accusations over a full-page newspaper advertisement issued by the state's Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department. The ad, published in major dailies on Thursday, criticised the Centre's Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, which replaced the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The advertisement featured a caricature depicting Mahatma Gandhi in conversation with a fictional character named 'Sanghappa' – widely interpreted as a veiled reference to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) due to the character's attire resembling an RSS uniform. It described the VB-G RAM G Act as a "death knell" for rural employment guarantees and accused the Narendra Modi-led central government of imposing "tax terrorism" on states like Karnataka.
The controversy erupted in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday, where opposition BJP and JD(S) members raised strong objections, terming the ad an illegal misuse of taxpayers' money for partisan propaganda. Senior BJP legislator S. Suresh Kumar highlighted that government departments cannot fund political attacks on central laws. Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka called it "illegal," citing a Supreme Court directive (from a bench led by former CJI Ranjan Gogoi) prohibiting government advertisements that promote ruling party interests. He claimed crores of rupees were wasted on the campaign.
BJP state president and Shikaripura MLA B.Y. Vijayendra condemned the ad as misleading and slammed the Congress government for prioritising political vendetta over public welfare. In Mysuru, BJP spokesperson M.G. Mahesh went further, demanding the imposition of President's Rule under Article 356, arguing the ad violated constitutional norms and Supreme Court guidelines on politically partisan government spending.
In response, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge defended the advertisement, asserting it was the government's duty to inform citizens about policies affecting them. He argued that the VB-G RAM G Act – passed unilaterally during the Winter Session of Parliament in 2025 – imposed undue financial burdens on states and undermined rural livelihoods. "This is not propaganda; it's our right to speak out when our people face injustice from a central law," Kharge said. The opposition staged a walkout from the Assembly in protest after the government's justification.
The VB-G RAM G Act, enacted in late 2025, replaces MGNREGA's 100-day employment guarantee with a 125-day provision, reorients works toward water security, infrastructure, livelihoods, and climate resilience, and includes measures like weekly wage payments and seasonal pauses during agricultural cycles. The Centre defends it as a reformed, corruption-resistant framework aligned with the Viksit Bharat vision for 2047. Critics, including Congress leaders nationally, claim it weakens decentralized implementation and rural worker rights.
The row reflects broader national friction over the Act, with Congress launching protests and demanding its repeal to restore MGNREGA. In Karnataka, the advertisement has intensified the Congress-BJP showdown, with both sides accusing the other of misusing public funds and distorting facts on rural employment policy.
No immediate legal action has been announced, but the episode has reignited debates on the boundaries between government communication and political advertising.
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