G Parameshwara challenges BJP’s upcoming padyatra

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara has dismissed the BJP’s planned ten-day protest march, advising the opposition to address grievances within the state Assembly rather than taking to the streets. He warned the party against misleading the public after the BJP announced a rally targeting the Congress government’s record.

Editorial·August 31, 2026·reads: 1,496

G Parameshwara challenges BJP’s upcoming padyatra

The proposed march, scheduled from September 1 to September 10, will travel from Lingasugur to Ballari. State BJP president BY Vijayendra stated the campaign aims to highlight government failures, specifically citing 250,000 vacant state posts, drought management, and the resignation of former Planning Minister B. Nagendra. The BJP has consistently pressured the administration regarding a corruption scandal linked to the Karnataka Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation, which led to Nagendra’s exit from the Council of Ministers.

Parameshwara maintained that the government has not hindered the opposition's right to protest but questioned the intent behind the public display. He urged the BJP to bring specific evidence of administrative failures before legislators in the House. Meanwhile, the BJP leadership frames the march as a necessary response to perceived governance lapses and unfulfilled promises regarding SC/ST reservation quotas, presenting the protest as a direct challenge to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s administration.