Ballari: Union minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday hit out at the Karnataka government over the distribution of rice under welfare schemes, claiming that the 5 kg of rice being provided to beneficiaries comes from the Centre, not the state government.
Addressing reporters in Ballari, Joshi said the rice was being distributed under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKAY) launched by the Narendra Modi-led government. He alleged that the Congress government was projecting the central allocation as its own contribution under the state’s Anna Bhagya scheme.
Joshi said the previous BJP government under B S Yediyurappa had introduced several welfare initiatives, including Sandhya Suraksha, widow pensions and old-age pensions, but alleged that the Congress government had failed to implement them effectively.
He questioned the Congress over its promise to provide 10 kg of rice under Anna Bhagya, alleging that the party was taking credit for the 5 kg supplied through the Centre’s foodgrain programme.
Taking a swipe at the Congress’s 100-day celebrations, Joshi said the government may be marking the milestone, but Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was facing a series of political setbacks.
Joshi also targeted the Congress over the controversy surrounding Vande Mataram, questioning whether attempts were being made to shorten the song to appease minority communities.
He alleged that the issue could contribute to the Congress government’s defeat in the 2028 Assembly elections and accused the party of pursuing appeasement politics.
On SC/ST representation, Joshi alleged that the government could have appointed Rajanna as Apex Bank chairman if it genuinely wanted to empower the community. He claimed Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had denied him the opportunity due to personal differences.
Joshi also raised concerns over the alleged spread of narcotics, claiming that the drug menace had reached villages across Karnataka and accusing the government of failing to effectively tackle the drug mafia.
He further alleged that adequate funds had not been released for MLAs’ constituencies and demanded at least ₹200 crore for each of Karnataka’s 224 Assembly constituencies.