Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 11 (ANI): Congress leader Ramesh Babu on Thursday strongly defended the Karnataka government’s Gruha Lakshmi scheme and hit out at BJP leader R Ashok, accusing him of misleading the public and creating confusion among beneficiaries.
Reacting to Ashok’s criticism over the alleged exclusion of beneficiaries, Ramesh Babu said the BJP leader had no moral standing to question the implementation of the welfare scheme.
“On behalf of the Congress party, I have often said that in Karnataka’s history, R Ashok is one of the failed opposition leaders. He has no moral ground to question the Gruha Lakshmi scheme,” he told ANI.
He asserted that the scheme continues to benefit a large number of women across the state and dismissed allegations of large-scale exclusions.
“The bogus death-benefit cases have been removed, and now over 1.2 crore women in Karnataka are receiving benefits,” Ramesh Babu said.
Countering the BJP’s criticism, he also claimed that women beneficiaries across states continue to trust Congress schemes despite political attacks.
“In Maharashtra, the BJP government has not delivered the schemes promised before elections, while in Karnataka, even BJP women are benefiting from Gruha Lakshmi. In the BJP’s internal meetings, R Ashok demanded that their women give up the scheme, but none have done so,” he said.
He also accused the BJP leader of attempting to create confusion among beneficiaries for political gains.
“He fears that beneficiaries will vote for Congress, which is why he is trying to create confusion among them,” Babu added.
His remarks came after R Ashok, earlier in the day, launched a sharp attack on the Karnataka government over the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, alleging that over 1.1 lakh women have been excluded from the beneficiary list despite pre-election promises.
In a post on X, Ashok accused the Congress government of failing to honour its guarantees and questioned the transparency of the implementation process.
“‘Grulakshmi’ Before Elections, ‘Ineligible Lakshmi’ After Elections – This Is the True Face of Congress’s Guarantees!” he said.
https://x.com/RAshokaBJP/status/2064896549713535487
He alleged that the Congress had promised Rs 2,000 assistance to every household head during the election campaign but was now removing beneficiaries from the scheme.
“The Congress, which came to power after winning votes by promising Rs 2,000 to every household head, is now shamefacedly attempting to exclude over 1.1 lakh women from the Grulakshmi scheme in 17 districts,” Ashok said.
He further claimed that a large number of women have been marked ineligible across districts.
“Identifying 1,12,092 women as ineligible across 17 districts has exposed the true face of Congress,” he said.
Ashok also questioned the Chief Minister’s response on the issue, alleging a lack of awareness.
“The biggest tragedy is the Chief Minister’s response when questioned about this: ‘I don’t know.’ If the Chief Minister doesn’t know about the life issues of 1.1 lakh women in the state, then who is running the state?” he said.
He reiterated that the scheme was announced as unconditional during the campaign, but is now being altered after coming to power.
“Before elections: Promise of ₹2,000 to every household head. After elections: List of ineligibles. Now: New harassment in the name of biometrics,” he said.
Calling the situation an attack on women’s empowerment, Ashok alleged political misuse of welfare schemes.
“Is this Congress’s women empowerment? The people of Karnataka are watching Congress’s duplicitous policy of using women for vote banks and then snatching away their rights after gaining power,” he added.
He further demanded immediate action to restore benefits to eligible beneficiaries without confusion, warning of public backlash if grievances are not addressed.
“The Congress government, which won votes with “guarantees” and now strips rights with “ineligible,” must answer to the mothers of the state. Immediately stop this injustice and release the scheme funds to eligible beneficiaries without any confusion. Otherwise, it’s guaranteed that this government will burn to ashes in the mothers’ anger,” Ashok added. (ANI)
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