Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's slew of programmes for the minorities in his state budget for 2025-2026 drew angry response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaderson Friday, who have described it as a ``halal budget.''

The first response was from BJP MLA Basannagouda Patil Yatnal, who wondered whether it was Pakistan's budget or Karnataka's? ``This is not a budget for the farmers' but meant to please minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan and the minorities,'' he told the media. BJP MP Narayana Bhandage maintained that Siddaramaiah has given Ramzan gifts to the Muslims. ``Siddaramaiah used to host Iftar parties but now with the budget he has established, it's a Muslim government ,'' he claimed.

The state BJP in its official X handle BJP4Karnataka listed out the schemes announced in the budget including Rs 50,000 assistance for Muslim simple marriages, Rs 150 crore for infrastructure development of Waqf properties and  graveyards, Rs 50 lakh for Muslim cultural programmes, a new ITI college to be set up in Muslim-dominated areas, 50% fee concession for Muslim students under KEA,  residential PU college for Muslim girls in Ullal town, increase in national and  foreign scholarships for Muslim students, expansion of Bengaluru’s Haj Bhavan with additional buildings and self-defense training for Muslim girl students under the hashtag halal budget. ``What about allocation for the Dalits and OBCs?'' the party asked in the post.

Reacting to the BJP's criticism, Siddaramaiah  said the Rs 4,500 crore allocation for  the minorities in the budget was not just for the Muslims but it included Jains, Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs and others. He explained allocation for the minorities  was on the higher side this time as the literacy rate among them  is low. ``What moral right the BJP has to call the budget a halal or Pakistan budget? it only shows they are against secularism and are narrow minded people,'' he added.

Siddaramaiah said the budget allocation was  based on the ratio of population. The  Scheduled Castes and Tribes constituted  24% of the total population and therefore the allocation for them was Rs 42,000 crore,  for the other backward classes it was  Rs 4,300 crore and  the minorities Rs 4,500  crore, the CM said.

Slamming  the BJP for dubbing  it as a halal budget, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge asked: