In a recent press conference, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad has demanded an apology from Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress National President, and Rahul Gandhi over ‘Shakti Scheme’ review in Karnatka, asserting that Congress has misled the public through its unfulfilled promises.
According to Prasad, Kharge’s recent advice to Congress units preparing for elections represents an implicit admission of past fiscal missteps. Kharge advised party units to make guarantees only within budgetary limits, warning that financially unplanned promises could have lasting repercussions for future generations.
“Has the Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge taught this lesson to Rahul Gandhi?” Prasad questioned, accusing Gandhi of making frequent, unfeasible announcements without budgetary backing.
He highlighted the potential for financial strain if the government fails to meet its obligations, adding, “If there’s no money for roads, everyone will turn against you… future generations will be left with nothing but a bad name.”
The Congress government’s recent suggestion to review Karnataka’s ‘Shakti scheme’—which offers free bus transport for women—also attracted criticism from Prasad. He argued that the Congress’s proposed reconsideration of the scheme further demonstrated its inability to fulfill promises.
However, Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy clarified that there would be no review or discontinuation of the scheme. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar further defended the scheme, describing Karnataka’s “guarantee model” as exemplary and noting that “BJP and other parties are also adopting it.”
Addressing alleged misinterpretations of his statement, Shivakumar said, “Whatever our elders say we follow that. My statement was twisted… there is no question of closing the schemes.”
Prasad also pointed to Himachal Pradesh, where Congress Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu recently advised state employees to forgo their salaries due to financial constraints. Highlighting Congress’s apparent inability to deliver on promises in states like Himachal Pradesh, he noted that the administration even attempted to introduce a tax on toilets before withdrawing the proposal following public backlash.
“What about their announcements and promises in Himachal Pradesh?” Prasad asked, emphasizing what he described as a repeated pattern of “fooling the public” for votes without meaningful implementation. “They just make announcements and fool the public for the sake of votes and then they don’t implement their promises,” he asserted.
Prasad reiterated that the Congress Party’s acknowledgment of its financial limitations represents an admission of having previously misled the public. He stated that Congress leaders Kharge and Gandhi should apologize to the nation, particularly to voters in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, for what he described as deceptive practices.
“For the first time, Congress has accepted that they have misled the public… Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should apologize to the nation,” Prasad insisted, adding that the BJP, by contrast, fulfills the promises it makes.
With Inputs From ANI
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