Congress deceived people with 'misleading poll guarantees' now replete with conditions: BJP
Bengaluru(PTI): The BJP attacked the Congress government in the Assembly on Wednesday, alleging that it deceived the people with their "misleading poll guarantees", which are now replete with conditions.
The party claimed that the Siddaramaiah government is fast losing its popularity as people are no longer relying on its guarantees.
Former deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka sought to pick holes in the five 'guarantees' promised in the Congress party's election manifesto. He alleged that the government introduced numerous conditions in these guarantees and limited the number of beneficiaries.
Ashoka charged that these conditions in the guarantees are creating confusion among people. Referring to the 'Shakti' scheme offering free rides for women in government buses, Ashoka noted that the Congress manifesto did not mentions any conditions but after coming to power, the government said the scheme is available only in non-luxury buses.
Ashoka accused the government of plying only a limited number of buses, which has led to incidents of damage to bus doors and windows due to heavy rush.
"The crowded state-owned buses show that people do not have confidence in the government. Women believe that the scheme will be withdrawn very soon and hence they are rushing to travel free of cost," the BJP legislator claimed.
Regarding 'Gruha Jyoti' scheme offering 200 units free power for residential purposes, Ashoka said the party should have said in the manifesto itself that they would take average power consumption into consideration.
About 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme offering Rs 2,000 to women heads of families, he said this guarantee has "pitched mothers-in-law against their daughters-in-law".
The 'Yuva Nidhi' scheme will be applicable only six months later and benefits only those who got a degree or diploma this year, he pointed out.
In response, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah retorted that the BJP, which "failed" to appoint a leader of the opposition, is "talking about the failure of the guarantees".
"Ashoka seems to be opposing free bus ride for women. Even if you stand up and create ruckus we will not be scared," the chief minister said.
He said the people of the state had given their verdict, which should be a lesson for the BJP.
In the May elections to the 224-member Assembly, the Congress came to power with 135 seats, while the BJP secured 66 and the JD (S) 19.
Siddaramaiah said that out of the five guarantees, three have come into effect, one will be implemented from July 16 while 'Yuva Nidhi' will come into force six months later. He said all five guarantees would come into effect in the current financial year.
Earlier in the day, the opposition BJP withdrew its protests inside the Assembly over the alleged non-implementation of the five 'guarantees' promised by the ruling Congress in its poll manifesto, after Speaker U T Khader gave them time to raise their issue post Zero Hour.
Disruptions marred the proceedings on Tuesday after the Speaker did not allow former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to move an adjournment motion seeking a debate on the issue, leading to pandemonium. BJP members were firm on their demand for a discussion on the Congress government's "non-implementation" of 'guarantees'.
As soon as the session resumed on Wednesday morning, the BJP MLAs sought time for discussion on the issue.
The Speaker agreed to give them time post Zero hour, following which the BJP withdrew its protests.
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South zone finalists announced at WAVES VFX challenge in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: The South Zone round of the WAVES VFX Challenge took place today in Bengaluru, organized by the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI).
The day-long competition brought together talented participants from across southern India, with the goal of selecting top finalists who will go on to represent the region at the national finals next month during the WAVES Summit in Mumbai.
Finalists were selected in three categories:
Student Category
Winner: Soumya Das
Runner-up: Gagan HP
Professional Category
Winner: Mohamad Javeed
Runner-up: S Sai Chandan
Enthusiasts Category
Winner: Gagan Ajai
Over 1,500 entries were received from students, working professionals, and VFX enthusiasts, all centered around the theme “Super Hero Power.” Out of these, 14 entries were shortlisted to compete in today’s final round. One winner and one runner-up from each category were chosen to represent the South Zone in Mumbai.
ABAI Secretary R.K. Chand appreciated the strong participation and encouraged industry professionals to attend the Mumbai summit, which will host well-known personalities from films, advertising, and creative sectors. He also mentioned that the WAVES Challenge was recently launched in Bengaluru by Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Sagar Gulati, Director of the School of Creative Design and Information Technology at Jain (Deemed-to-be University), the zonal partner for the competition.
The day also featured two special sessions led by industry experts. Vijay Selvam from the global VFX studio MPC held a masterclass titled “Concept Reality,” where he discussed lighting, animation, compositing, and photorealistic effects. Students got the chance to interact with him during a Q&A session.
Another session was conducted by Rakesh H, Lead Head at The Mill, who spoke about how visual effects are used in advertising. Nearly 100 students attended these sessions, gaining valuable industry insights and learning opportunities.
