Garbage tender: Ashok urges Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to release committee report

R. Ashok. | Photo credit: File photo

Sparks continued to fly on Thursday (June 11) when Leader of the Opposition R Ashok and Chief Minister DK Shivakumar trumpeted Bengaluru’s garbage disposal tenders.

Mr. Ashok hit out at Mr. Shivakumar for calling him a “garbage mafia agent” and remarked, “Yes, I am an agent, but not an agent of any mafia or commission like you. I am a janata (public) agent who espouses the cause of seven-and-a-half crore Kannadigas and one-andigas.”

The BJP leader, who came under fire from the chief minister on Wednesday (June 10) after he alleged massive irregularities in the garbage tenders, claimed: “It is my constitutional right as the leader of the opposition to question your looting. I don’t need to take anyone’s permission.”

Pointing out that a high-level committee had been formed to look into issues related to tendering norms and the deadline for submitting a report in this regard to the committee had also expired, he urged the Chief Minister to make the report public.

Claiming that Mr Shivakumar had managed to get the post of chief minister “by pleading and crying in front of his party high command”, Mr Ashok noted that he feared he was not even getting a honeymoon from the opposition.

Mr. Ashok noted that the Chief Minister could never have expected such a honeymoon when his own party leaders who were angry with him repeatedly traveled to Delhi to complain to the party high command. “It is your own party leaders who have robbed you of your honeymoon period,” he told the chief minister.

Published – 11 Jun 2026 23:10 IST