New Delhi, Mar 7 (PTI) The BJP on Friday termed the Karnataka government's budget as "blatant appeasement" of Muslims and alleged that the proposals made in it for the minority community seemed to be inspired by the ruling Congress' "new icon" Aurangzeb.

Presenting the budget for 2025-26 in the state assembly, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made a host of announcements for various sectors which included Rs 150 crore allocation for repair and renovation of Waqf properties, infrastructure and protection of Muslim burial grounds.

Siddaramaiah also proposed an action plan for implementation of CM's Minority Colony Development Programme this fiscal at an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore.

"The Congress is slowly but surely disregarding every credential they had on social justice and now is evolving as a modern version of Mohammad Ali Jinnah's Muslim League," BJP national spokesperson Anil Antony told a press conference here at the party headquarters, reacting sharply over the budgetary announcements in Karnataka.

The Karnataka government is becoming the Congress' "poster example of appeasement", he charged.

"The budget seems to be inspired by their new icon Aurangzeb," he said, calling the proposals made for Muslim community "blatant appeasement".

The BJP leader slammed the Congress over proposal to earmark Rs 150 crore allocation for repair and renovation of Waqf properties, infrastructure and protection of Muslim burial grounds, saying the Karnataka government has come up with such a proposal at a time when the Union government is set to bring a bill in Parliament seeking amendment to the Waqf Act.

The Karnataka government has proposed allocation of funds on this head at a time when Waqf properties at almost 85,000 acres of land out of total of 1 lakh acres are under dispute due to allegations of encroachment, he added.

"Why is there this much appeasement? Does the minority community in Karnataka means Muslims only," Antony asked and demanded that the state government reverse all "blatant appeasement steps" it has taken. PTI PK ZMN

Waqf property allocation criticised as sectarian appeasement amid pending Waqf Act amendment and land disputes. Allocation for repair and protection of Waqf properties and an action plan for a Minority Colony Development Programme are central fiscal measures in the Karnataka budget, set against a pending amendment to the Waqf Act and amid reported encroachment disputes on Waqf land; opposition criticism frames these measures as sectarian appeasement focused on one religious minority.