BJP criticised Cong guarantee schemes but following same in Delhi, Maha, MP: Shivakumar

The BJP and its top national leadership had criticised the Congress party and its guarantees that it implemented within days of assuming power, but today the BJP is following the Congress model of guarantees in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra, asserted Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DSK Shivakumar in the assembly.

This assertion came when he was responding to a claim by a BJP MLA Sunil Kumar that the BJP did not object to the guarantee schemes. Promptly Shivakumar reminded him that the entire BJP ecosystem starting from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi downwards to MLAs had criticised when Congress came up with its welfare programmes aimed at the people.

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“Everyone from the Prime Minister to an MLA of BJP have criticised the guarantee schemes. Irrespective of the opposition, we went ahead and rolled it out. The guarantee schemes will not stop as long as the Congress government is in power.,” Shivakumar declared.

“The people were distraught with price rise and inflation. Our government introduced the guarantee schemes to alleviate their pain, but it was met with a lot of criticisms. The BJP said we would not be able to implement it, but we approved the guarantee schemes within five days of coming to power,” Shivakumar said.

“We understand how difficult it is to ear-mark 20% of the state’s budget for guarantee schemes, but the lives of people are important for us. It eases the pain of price rise and inflation. The BJP is following our model in Delhi, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh,” Shivakumar reiterated.

He was participating in a discussion on the guarantee schemes during which the opposition objected to the appointment of Congress workers to oversee the implementation of various guarantee schemes.

Shivakumar defended the government decision and said, “There is nothing wrong in accommodating the party workers who brought the party to power. The committees are set up to ensure delivery of the Rs 52,000-crore guarantee schemes to the people. But the Opposition is unable to digest it.”

Leader of opposition R Ashoka too raised the issue of distribution of Rs 187 crore of government money to party workers. “Let this issue be taken up in the House, We will respond,” said the Deputy Chief Minister adding that for the present, “Let us limit ourselves to discussion on the budget right now.”

In another retort, Shivakumar said, “The people of the state have blessed us with 138 seats. The Leader of the Opposition and other MLAs requested positions in committees. It is not my decision alone, it needs to be discussed in the Cabinet. Our government will always be with our party workers.”