Bengaluru: Responding to Opposition's uproar over cancellation of BPL card, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the poor are not troubled with the Congress government and that the opposition is trying to find stones in the curd.
Furthermore he said, "It is the Congress government, not the BJP, that has implemented important schemes for the people including ration card, rice, pension, land for the poor, shelter scheme, land for the ploughman."
Addressing the media at the KPCC office, Shivakumar criticized the BJP and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, claiming their tenure did little to support the underprivileged.
"The BJP and Kumaraswamy have no substantial criticism to offer. During their time, they did injustice to the poor and failed to implement meaningful programs. Our government, however, ensures that the genuine poor are supported," Shivakumar asserted.
He clarified that some government employees, income tax payers, and financially well-off individuals possess BPL cards, which violates the central government’s criteria for poverty classification. "If the card of a genuinely poor person has been canceled, it will be corrected, and a new BPL card will be issued. This is a decision taken by the Chief Minister and our government," he added.
Responding to Kumaraswamy’s claim that the state’s economic situation has worsened, Shivakumar retorted, "Kumaraswamy's contributions to the state are negligible. His remarks are baseless. During his tenure, did he strengthen the state's economy or attract investments? In contrast, we are focusing on capital investments and job creation, as evidenced by initiatives like the Tech Summit."
When asked about allegations of BJP attempting to purchase MLAs, Shivakumar criticized the media for neglecting the issue. "Why isn’t the media discussing BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s ₹1,000 crore claim? Did the BJP issue a notice to Yatnal, or call his allegation false? Let the discussion begin there," he challenged.
Shivakumar reiterated his government’s commitment to strengthening the state's economy and uplifting the poor, urging the opposition to focus on constructive criticism rather than baseless allegations.
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Visakhapatnam (PTI): Shafali Verma hit a blistering unbeaten 69 as India made short work of a paltry target to outclass Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the second Women’s T20 International here on Tuesday.
India now lead the five-match series 2-0 after another one-sided victory, having restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 128 for 9 through a collective display of disciplined bowling from the spin trio of seasoned Sneh Rana, ably complemented by young spinners Vaishnavi Sharma and Shree Charani.
During the chase, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (14) fell cheaply but Shafali, enjoying new found confidence after a stellar show in the World Cup final, sent the bowlers on a leather-hunt during her 34-ball knock, winning it for her team in just 11.5 overs.
The hosts have now completed back-to-back successful chases within 15 overs which speaks volumes about the unit's sky-high confidence.
Shafali's innings had 11 punchy boundaries apart from a maximum.
The floodgates opened when left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera bowled a few flighted deliveries and Shafali would step out everytime to hit her over extra cover. Her footwork against slow bowlers was immaculate whether stepping out to loft the ball or rocking back to punch or pull.
Seeing her confidence, the newly appointed Delhi Capitals skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (26 off 15 balls) also attacked as the duo added 58 runs in just 4.3 overs.
By the time Rodrigues was out trying to hit one six too many, the match as a contest was over. Shafali completed her half-century off just 27 balls and completed the formalities in a jiffy.
Earlier, off-spinner Rana, who got a look-in after Deepti Sharma was ruled out due to fever, showed her utility keeping the Lankan batters under tight leash with figures of 1 for 11 in 4 overs, including a maiden which certainly is a rarity in T20 cricket.
Charani, who made an impression during India's ODI World Cup triumph, took 2 for 23 in her quota of overs, while Vaishnavi after an impressive debut in the opening encounter, finished with 2 for 32, not letting the Islanders get easy runs in her second spell.
The last six wickets fell for just 24 runs, but what stood out during India’s bowling effort was their superb ground fielding. After a patchy show in the previous game, the improved sharpness in the field resulted in three run-outs.
Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu (31 off 24 balls) looked in good nick as she deposited length deliveries from seamers Kranti Gaud and Arundhati Reddy over the ropes but it was Rana, who kept her quiet by repeatedly pitching on good length.
Unable to manoeuvre the strike and with the big hits suddenly drying up, Athapaththu chanced her arm at another delivery in which Rana had shortened the length slightly.
Not having transferred the weight into the lofted shot, Athapaththu's hoick was pouched cleanly by Amanjot Kaur at long-off.
This was after Athapaththu's opening partner Vishmi Gunaratne (1) had offered a simple return catch to Gaud.
Hasini Perera (22 off 28 balls) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (33 off 32 balls) did stitch a stand of 44 but they could never set the tempo against the Indian spin troika.
Once Hasini offered a tame return catch off a Charani full-toss, Sri Lankans never recovered and lost wickets in a heap towards the end.
