Cong MLA Balakrishna bats for stopping guarantees if party fails to win max seats in LS polls
Bengaluru (PTI): Ruling Congress MLA H C Balakrishna has advocated stopping the Karnataka government's guarantee programmes, in case the party fails to win maximum number of seats in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, assuming that the people have rejected the schemes.
The Magadi MLA said he had spoken to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and added it was for the people to decide whether they want 'akshate' (rice grains mixed with turmeric and ghee distributed by organisers or volunteers of RSS/ VHP ahead of Ayodhya's Ram Mandir consecration) or five guarantee schemes.
While the opposition BJP hit out at the MLA and the Congress government, Shivakumar seeking to clarify, said no guarantee scheme will be stopped and it will be continued for five years.
"We will work, our government will be there for five years, I ask you one thing whether your vote is for akshate or five guarantees," Balakrishna said.
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Addressing a gathering in his constituency near here, he said, "We are all Hindus, we too have respect for the construction of the temple, but our argument is that seeking votes in the name of temple is not right."
"In this situation, if people vote (in BJP's favour) for construction of the temple...I told our Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister that -- let's continue the guarantee schemes if people make us (the Congress) win a majority of the seats in the MP (parliamentary) elections. If not, it can be assumed that the people have rejected the guarantees," he added.
Further asking people what else the Congress should think if votes are not in its favour, the MLA told womenfolk that 80-85 per cent of money from these guarantee schemes are coming to women -- who are also the matriarches of the family in many cases.
Listing out the benefits of the guarantee scheme, he further said, "despite doing all this, if people don't vote for us and reject us, what should we decide? There is no value to these guarantees, but there is value for akshate. So we will cancel guarantees and we also will build a temple, worship there, give akshate and get the votes."
"Tell me what to do? Whether you want guarantees or akshate. It has to be decided. I have told the Chief Minister that because of his government's programmes, people should make the Congress win and elect MPs from our party, if not it will be understood that people don't want your guarantees, we will take that money and do development works," he added.
The Congress governments five guarantee schemes are — 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), ₹2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), payment of cash in lieu of the additional 5 kg of rice to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), ₹3,000 every month for graduate youth and ₹1,500 for diploma holders (YuvaNidhi) and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti).
Shivakumar said no guarantee scheme will be stopped in Karnataka, and it will continue for five years.
"The BJP had earlier (during Assembly poll campaign) threatened that if the Congress comes to power, the schemes would be only till elections (to the Lok Sabha) and Balakrishna was trying to affirm that only the Congress can implement the guarantee schemes, while cautioning the people (about BJP)," he said, as he sought to clarify with regard to his party MLA's statement and clear the air.
Reacting to Balakrishna's remarks, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said in Chikkamagaluru, this shows that the Congress leaders who were under the illusion of winning more than 20 of the total 28 Parliamentary seats in the state, have accepted defeat even before the Lok Sabha polls are announced.
The Congress won the Assembly polls last year and came to power thorough "bogus guarantees," he charged and said the BJP will not let this government to do injustice to the people of the state. "It is nothing but blackmail...the Congress should be ashamed."
Several other BJP leaders too have hit out at the Congress party and the MLA for the statement.
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Businessman lured by FB friend, attacked for extortion in K'taka; 4 held
Madikeri (Karnataka) (PTI): Four people were arrested for allegedly assaulting, illegally confining and attempting to extort money from a 39-year-old businessman who was lured through a honeytrap set up on social media, police said on Monday.
The accused have been identified as Rachana, Malati, Darshan and Ravi.
Police said efforts are underway to nab the remaining suspects involved in the incident, which occurred on December 12 in Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu.
According to the complaint, the victim, a resident of Maddur taluk in Mandya district, was befriended by a woman identified as Rachana through Facebook, who later sought financial assistance and received Rs 5,000 from him via PhonePe on November 28.
When he asked her to return the money, the woman allegedly asked him to travel to Mysuru or Kushalnagar, promising to meet him.
The police said the woman later called the victim to Madikeri on December 12 and took him to a house near the market area, where they spent some time and consumed alcohol in the evening.
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Later that night, citing an emergency, the woman left the house. After her departure, three men allegedly broke into the house and attacked the victim, assaulting him with a stick and the handle of a sword, causing injuries to his face, mouth, chest and leg, the FIR stated.
The complainant alleged that he was forcibly confined, stripped and a nude video of him was recorded. The accused also allegedly threatened him with a toy gun, demanding Rs 50 lakh and warning that the video would be uploaded on social media if the money was not paid.
Police said the victim was held captive and somehow managed to escape in the early hours of December 13. However, after he escaped, the accused allegedly attempted to kidnap him in an autorickshaw, an incident that was captured on CCTV cameras.
Based on his complaint at the Madikeri Town police station, a case was registered under Sections 310(2) (dacoity), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a senior police officer said.
“Four accused, including two women, have been arrested. Efforts are on to nab two more absconding accused. Further investigation is on,” he added.
