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BJP leaders mock Congress’s scheme for religious minorities; fact-checkers say BJP had same schemes

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekar and BJP MP Tejasvi Surya are misleading followers by communalising welfare schemes, said fact checker Mohammed Zubair.

Bellie Thomas

Published Sep 09, 2023 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 09, 2023 | 8:00 AM

The newspaper advertisement of the government scheme for religious minorities in Karnataka. (X)

The newspaper advertisement of the government scheme for religious minorities in Karnataka. (X)

Social media posts shared by BJP’s Union Minister of State for Information Technology (IT) Rajeev Chandrasekhar and BJP Yuva Morcha president and MP Tejasvi Surya, mocking a scheme for Karnataka’s minorities, drew harsh criticism from netizens, including activists, on Friday, 8 September.

The two BJP leaders shared the image of a newspaper advertisement put out by the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation Limited for one of its schemes. The ad stated: “Under this scheme, subsidy of 50 percent on vehicle value or up to a maximum of ₹3 lakh will be given to each beneficiary to buy auto rickshaw/taxi/goods vehicle.”

It added that the applicant should belong to religious minorities community.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar takes potshot at Congress

Calling the welfare scheme for religious minorities an example of “shameless, lazy, appeasement politics”, Union Minister Chandrasekhar took potshots at the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka and termed it also a violation under Article 14 of the Constitution.

“Here’s another example of shameless, lazy, appeasement politics of bribing certain communities by Rahul’s Cong in #Karnataka. Buy a vehicle for ₹6 L, using 50 percent subsidy, sell it the next day for ₹5 L. Cool profit of ₹2 L. Only available for non-Hindus and does not include poor deprived Hindu communities,” said Chandrasekhar in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

He added, “Shameless bribing of a community by using public resources meant for all Kannadigas. Brazen discrimination and violation of Article 14 of Constitution from a party that goes abroad and talks of Bharat’s Constitution being under threat. State sponsored conversion inducement. This is the appeasement and corrupt politics of dynasts of UPA/I.N.D.I Alliance.”

Also Read: Karnataka launches Gruha Lakshmi: Congress’ 4th poll guarantee

Tejasvi Surya jumps on troll bandwagon

Meanwhile, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, also sharing the same image, launched a broadside at the Congress party’s five poll guarantees in the state and said that the grand-old party will stoop to any extent to consolidate its minority vote bank.

In a post on X, Surya said, “Congress, to fund its freebies. 1 – Is increasing guidance value by 30 percent; 2 – Has doubled electricity charges; 3 – Hiked excise duty, milk prices, road tax and also plans to extract 5 percent cess.”

He added, “Now, Karnataka’s middle class will fund a ‘religion targeted scheme’, specifically designed for minorities, that gives ₹3 lakhs as subsidy to buy vehicles. Congress goes to any extent to appease its core voter base even if it means to undermine hardworking tax paying middle-class families.”

Also Read: Karnataka to use SCP/TSP funds to implement poll guarantees

Fact-checkers expose BJP leaders

While commenting on the newspaper advertisement of the government scheme, the two BJP leaders failed to fact-check their posts before putting them on social media and tagging other senior BJP leaders like former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, and MLA CN Ashwath Narayan, flagged activists.

Chief of Alt-News and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair stated that both Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekar and BJP MP Tejasvi Surya were misleading their followers by communalising the welfare schemes.

Zubair explained that the scheme is named “Karnataka Swawalambi Sarathi Scheme” and a similar scheme was available under the BJP government when it was in power.

Posting a screenshot of the scheme from districtsinfo.com, Zubair stated that unemployed youth from SC/ST and Minority (Muslims, Christians, Jains, Parsi, Buddhists) are qualified for this scheme. SC/ST can get 75 percent or a max subsidy amount of up to ₹4 lakh. Minorities are eligible for 50 percent or a max subsidy amount up to ₹3 lakh.

Meanwhile, Karnataka’s Health and Family Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao reminded Union Minister Chandrasekhar that he was forgetting that the same scheme was there even during the BJP government.

Minister Gundu Rao tweeted, “@Rajeev_GoI you’re forgetting that this scheme was there even during your BJP govt. Don’t let your blind hatred for the minorities make you look like a fool. Correct your stupid tweet.”

Also Read: Karnataka fact-checking unit to go after fake news peddlers

‘All governments have such schemes’

Speaking to South First about welfare schemes for religious minorities, senior journalist and activist Gautham Machaiah said that there is nothing new about the scheme.

“In Karnataka, there are many boards and corporations with welfare schemes for the upliftment of all communities. There is the Kodava Development Board, Brahmin Development Board, Fishermen Development Board, SC/SCT Development Board, Valmiki Development Board, religious minorities corporations, etc,” he noted.

“In the Brahmin community, if someone marries a priest, they are entitled to ₹5 lakh, which is the most communal of all schemes. These are all community-based development schemes and these have been in place under all governments. For example, the auto-rickshaw scheme has been there for decades,” Machaiah added.

Machaiah also posted on X, “This tweet by the Union minister is both misleading and communal. Karnataka government offers subsidy for purchase of auto-rickshaws not only to minorities, but also to SC/STs and backward classes through various corporations. This policy was in vogue during BJP rule too.”

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