Bharatiya Janata Party Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has accused the Karnataka government of attempting to 'institutionalise religious segregation' through a recently approved Rs 600 crore development plan for 'minority colonies'.
Surya questioned the constitutional basis for allocating public funds exclusively to “minority colonies” based on religion instead of addressing all poor and deprived areas using objective socio-economic criteria. He stated on X, “Under which constitutional provision can public money be earmarked exclusively for ‘minority colonies’ based on religion rather than for all poor and deprived localities based on objective socio-economic criteria?”
The BJP MP also raised concerns about the plan potentially contradicting Article 14 and Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and prohibit discrimination by the state on religious grounds. “How does a 2 600 crore religion-linked package comply with Article 14 and Article 15 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before law and prohibit discrimination by the State on grounds of religion?” he asked.
He added, “Individuals may have a religion – but since when did roads, drains, streets, and neighbourhoods acquire a religion? On what constitutional basis is the government assigning religious identity to geographies as ‘minority colonies’ and then distributing public money accordingly? Is this not active promotion of ghettoisation on religious lines by the State?”
Surya further questioned the exclusion of underdeveloped Hindu, Dalit, SC/ST, OBC, and other colonies from the scheme, saying, “If the real objective is development of backward areas, why are equally poor Hindu, Dalit, SC/ST, OBC and other underdeveloped colonies not covered under the same framework instead of creating a religion-specific scheme?”
The MP also indicated plans to challenge the Cabinet decision in court.
The Karnataka cabinet approved the Rs 600 crore action plan on Thursday, aiming to develop various colonies across the state, including in Bengaluru, over the period from 2026 to 2028. The scheme covers multiple areas across 11 city corporations and is part of the Chief Minister’s special development package.
Additionally, the state government released the draft Karnataka State Excise Reforms 2026 for public consultation on the same day. The draft policy seeks to establish a citizen-centric framework for alcohol regulation where prices reflect the true social cost of consumption.
According to a release from the Karnataka Chief Minister’s Office, alcohol generates Rs 34,600 crore annually in revenue, while its social costs-such as road accidents, domestic violence, liver disease, alcohol use disorders, and lost household income-are estimated at Rs 51,000 crore.
The proposed policy includes a strength-based taxation system linking excise to alcohol content plus VAT, QR code-based supply chain tracking, simplified digital licensing, standardised health warnings, and a transition from a quota-based retail system to a registration-based framework with restricted zones near schools and hospitals.