Clip proves scheme being restricted to BJP workers: Congress

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress spokesperson Laxman on Friday revealed an audio clip wherein a BJP member said that a Centrally-sponsored scheme was being restricted to saffron party workers only.

The scheme in question is the “Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana”.

The scheme is supposed to benefit small and marginalised artisans of the Vishwakarma caste. In the audio, the BJP worker is heard responding to the question as to why “Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana” wasn’t receiving proper publicity with: “There is no question about this scheme being publicized.”

“The scheme is meant for our workers and our voters only. Ensure it reaches them,” he added. Laxman alleged that the audio clip was proof that the scheme was being misused by the BJP. He noted that the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana”, which was launched on September 17 has received a funding of Rs 15,000 crores in the first tranche.

The Congress spokesperson also defended Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet withdrawing permission for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Deputy CM Shivakumar.

He claimed that the BJP had been playing “politics of vengeance” because Shivakumar had famously taken 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs to a resort in Bidadi in Ramanagara district, an act which had prevented cross-voting and gotten Sonia Gandhi advisor Ahmed Patel elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Laxman pointed out that then CM BS Yediyurappa hadn’t followed the procedure by not acquiring the Speaker’s permission and handing over Shivakumar’s case to the CBI.