Karnataka Faces Backlash Over ₹10 Crore Aid to Kerala Amid State’s Cash Crunch

In a move sparking intense debate, the cash-strapped Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has sanctioned ₹10 crore to aid 100 families devastated by the July 2024 landslides in Wayanad, Kerala—Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency. Intended as humanitarian relief, the decision has ignited a political firestorm. The Karnataka BJP has slammed the Congress government, accusing it of prioritizing Priyanka Gandhi’s turf over Karnataka’s own financial woes, including unpaid salaries and stalled development projects. BJP leaders claim the state’s ₹63,000 crore debt in FY24, fueled by freebie schemes, makes this aid a misstep, questioning why Karnataka taxpayers’ money is funding relief in Kerala. Congress defends the gesture as a compassionate act of national duty, emphasizing solidarity with Wayanad’s victims, where the disaster claimed over 250 lives and destroyed livelihoods. Meanwhile, Wayanad’s affected families in Chooralmala and Mundakkai struggle to rebuild, caught in a political crossfire hundreds of kilometers away in Bengaluru. Is this aid truly about helping people, or is it a political maneuver to bolster Congress’s image? Join us as we unpack the controversy, explore the ground reality in Wayanad, and question whether compassion or politics drives this decision, with insights into Karnataka’s financial strain and Kerala’s rehabilitation challenges.