Bengaluru, 24 Dec

BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka on Wednesday announced that the party would launch statewide protests over the alleged non-disbursal of funds under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme for February and March this year.

He also said the BJP would urge Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot not to give assent to the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill passed during the recent winter session in Belagavi.

Addressing reporters, Ashoka said there were high expectations that the Belagavi session would bring major announcements for North Karnataka. Instead, he alleged, funds were curtailed and no special packages were announced for the region.

He claimed that around Rs 5,000 crore meant for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme for February and March had not been disbursed. “The government dodged the issue and the finance department covered it up. Our question is whether there was no money in the previous fiscal year and why the government hid it,” he said.

The Gruha Lakshmi scheme, one of the state government’s five pre-poll guarantees, promises ₹2,000 per month to women heads of families belonging to the economically weaker sections. Ashoka said that if the government had funds, it would have released them, accusing it of either cheating beneficiaries or running out of money.

He alleged that 1.26 crore families were anxiously waiting for the payments and accused Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar of not responding to queries in the Assembly. Calling it a “big scam”, he questioned whether the funds were allocated in the budget and, if so, where the money had gone. He further alleged that ministers had pressured district authorities not to share details when the BJP sought information from several districts.

On the Hate Speech and Hate Crimes Bill, Ashoka said it was passed in haste without proper discussion and would curtail freedom of expression.