“Whoever owns land in Karnataka must have ownership rights,” Gandhi said while addressing a public gathering in Karnataka’s Vijaynagara.
He stated that a significant number of people across communities in Karnataka reside on land without legal titles, which excludes them from government benefits and legal recognition, reported ANI.
The Karnataka government has formally distributed more than 1.11 lakh title deeds to eligible individuals. These beneficiaries lived in areas previously categorised as “undocumented habitations,” which now have been declared revenue villages by the state, as per PTI.
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Made 5 promises, fulfilled 6: Rahul Gandhi
“I’m happy today we have succeeded in fulfilling our sixth guarantee. Over one lakh families are today being given title deeds by the Karnataka government. We have taken a major step in fulfilling former PM Indira Gandhi’s dream,” Gandhi said.
He added that about 2,000 habitations have already been recognised as revenue villages and called for the addition of 500 more. He also stressed the need for a digital land registry to ensure transparency and accessibility.
5 pre-election guarantees of Karnataka CongressÂ
During the event, Rahul Gandhi reiterated the Congress government’s five pre-election guarantees, mentioned below:
- 200 units of free electricity under the Gruha Jyoti scheme
- ₹2,000 monthly aid to women heads of families under the Gruha Lakshmi schemeÂ
- 10 kg of grains per person through the Anna Bhagya ProgrammeÂ
- Free bus travel for women under Shakti YojanaÂ
- Under the Yuva Nidhi scheme for the unemployed, ₹3,000 per month to graduate, and ₹1,500 to diploma holders
Gandhi also called out the previous BJP government in the state, saying that BJP’s economic model is for the rich. “The BJP wants only select people to get India’s entire money, but we want the money to go to the pockets of poor, backward, dalits, and adivasis – directly” Gandhi was quoted as saying by PTI.
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What is the significance of property rights?
Property rights refer to the legal ownership of land or property that allows individuals to use, sell, or inherit it. Without these rights, families living on land for generations can be denied access to essential services, formal housing loans and legal protection.
The Supreme Court had declared the right to property as a “constitutional right” in its January 2025 judgement when it overruled the Karnataka High Court judgement in a matter concerning land acquisition for the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMICP), as per the Deccan Herald.
“Though the right to property is no more a fundamental right, in view of the provisions of Article 300-A of the Constitution of India, it is a constitutional right,” said the bench of justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan.
Article 300-A of the Constitution states that no person shall be deprived of his property, except by the authority of law. In Karnataka, the government bodies had been reportedly acquiring lands for development projects without proper compensation to their owners.
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“A person cannot be deprived of his property without him being paid adequate compensation in accordance with law for the same,” the bench had said providing relief to the property owners.
BJP claims Congress welfare claims “hollow”Â
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, in response, criticised Gandhi’s remarks and terms the Congress’ economic approach as “khata-khat economics,” claiming it is failing Karnataka.
“False promises, hollow claims – typical Congress model. Just noise, no delivery!” Bhandari wrote on X (formerly Twitter), further questioning the government’s decision to celebrate its anniversary amid heavy rainfall in Bengaluru which also led to five deaths.
