Mangaluru: Ramanath Rai slams R Ashoka over remarks on K.C. Venugopal

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, December 5, 2025: Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, Rai accused Ashoka of lacking the moral authority to comment on a senior Congress leader holding the post of AICC general secretary. “R. Ashoka is the person who sold government land in Mangaluru to private parties. Someone involved in such acts has no right to question Congress leaders,” he alleged. Rai demanded that the land-sale case involving Ashoka be brought back to the forefront and investigated thoroughly. “A man who has indulged in corruption has no credibility to speak about us,” he added.

Dismisses airport show of strength

Referring to the show of strength by supporters of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at the Mangaluru airport, Rai dismissed the incident as a “small matter.” He declined to comment on internal party issues.

Rai also targeted the BJP on national political developments. He said that while the Congress had promised guarantee schemes transparently in its election manifesto, the BJP in Bihar resorted to distributing money even before the elections. He criticised the removal of the Chief Justice, who earlier headed the Election Commission, alleging that it weakened the electoral system.

Rai recalled that when the Congress first introduced the Anna Bhagya scheme, the BJP had mocked it as a “freebie programme” meant to make people lazy. “What are they doing now?” he questioned.