‘Religious segregation’: Tejasvi Surya slams Karnataka cabinet’s Rs 600 crore development plan for minority colonies

BENGALURU: Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya on Saturday accused the Karnataka government of trying to “institutionalise religious segregation” through the recently approved Rs 600 crore action plan for the development of ‘minority colonies’.

“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?” Surya wrote on X.

The BJP MP has called into question the constitutional validity of the action plan itself, saying that it could contradict Article 14 and Article 15 of the Constitution while guaranteeing equality before the law and prohibiting discrimination by the state on grounds of religion. “How does a Rs 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.

“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?” his post added.

He questioned further, “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?” Surya further said that the Cabinet decision will be challenged in court.

The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday approved a Rs 600 crore action plan for development of various colonies across the state, including in Bengaluru for the years 2026 till 2028. Multiple areas under 11 city corporations are being covered under the scheme, which will be developed under the Chief Minister’s special development package.

The state government on Thursday also released the draft Karnataka State Excise Reforms 2026 for public consultation. The policy marks a shift towards a citizen-centric framework, where prices reflect the true social cost of alcohol consumption.

While alcohol generates Rs 34,600 crore annually, its social costs — road accidents, domestic violence, liver disease, alcohol use disorders, and lost household income — are estimated at Rs 51,000 crore, according to a release from the Karnataka CMO.

The policy proposes a strength-based taxation system (excise linked to alcohol content + VAT), QR-based supply chain tracking, simplified digital licensing, standardised health warnings, and a shift from a quota-based retail system to a registration-based framework, with restricted zones near schools and hospitals. (ANI)