Agencies
New Delhi, Jan 31: Ruling Congress MLA HC 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 DK 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 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh/Vishva Hindu Parishad ahead of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir consecration) or five guarantee schemes.
While the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party 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.
Addressing a gathering in his constituency near Bengaluru, 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.
