Dismissing the Shakti scheme as one of several poll guarantees of Congress that promises of which the grand old party merely makes announcements, the BJP said on Friday the free bus rides to women in Karnataka is one such gimmick to fool the public for the sake of votes.

The BJP was reacting to the advice of Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge the state units of his party preparing for elections to announce guarantees aligned with their budgets. His advice had come in the wake of the Congress government in Karnataka suggesting that it could review the Shakti scheme which ensured free bus transport for women.

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In this context, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad demanded an apology from the Congress chief and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi as both of them misled the public going by their admission. “The Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge has accepted that we should make an announcement for only those items for which we have budgetary provisions and financial availability… Has the Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge taught this lesson to Rahul Gandhi? Rahul Gandhi is an expert in making announcements, and he keeps doing it,” Prasad said while addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

“Today, the Congress party has accepted through its president that what they have been doing is an attempt to deceive the public! Will Kharge Ji apologise for what his party has done to the people? For what’s happening in Telangana, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh,” the senior BJP leader said.

“Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge has stated that only those guarantees should be announced for which there is a budget. Listening to this, one wonders whether President Kharge has taught the lesson of wise thinking to his leader Rahul Gandhi,” Prasad said.

“The BJP would like to ask very clear and categorical questions to the esteemed Congress party President. Rahul Gandhi, time and again, represents the uncertainty surrounding his election promises. Rahul Gandhi is an expert at making announcements, but never intends to fulfill those,” the senior BJP leader said.

Citing the example of Himachal Pradesh, Prasad said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has asked state government employees not to take their salaries. “What about their announcements and promises in Himachal Pradesh? However, the CM there has asked state government employees not to take their salaries. They were also planning to impose a tax on toilets as well but had to withdraw the decision following a row over it,” he added.

The BJP leader further said that Congress just makes announcements and fools the public for the sake of votes. “They (Congress) just make announcements and fool the public for the sake of votes and then they don’t implement their promises…In Karnataka, they (Congress) announced five guarantees. Today, they (Congress) are talking about reviewing the free bus scheme (Shakti)…BJP always fulfills the promises that we make,” he stated.

Hence, he said Congress has accepted today through its president that Congress has always talked about trying to deceive the public.

“For the first time, Congress has accepted that they have misled the public…Will Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge apologise for what is happening in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh?… The INDI alliance will do the same in Maharashtra and Jharkhand and mislead the public…Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation,” the BJP leader said.

Earlier in the day, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge advised to the Congress units headed for polls cautioning them to announce guarantees on the basis of their budget. He urged for careful consideration and warned that an unplanned approach could lead to financial difficulties and negatively impact future generations.

During a press conference, he underscored the importance of fiscal responsibility, stating that if the government fails to deliver on its commitments, it could result in a bad reputation and hardships for the community. “In Maharashtra, I’ve said that they shouldn’t announce 5, 6, 10 or 20 guarantees. They should announce guarantees based on budget. Otherwise, there’ll be bankruptcy. If there’s no money for roads, everyone will turn against you. If this government fails, the future generation will be left with nothing but a bad name. They’ll have to live in exile for 10 years.”

Kharge’s statement came after the Congress government in Karnataka suggested that it could review the Shakti scheme which ensured free bus transport for women. However, on Thursday, Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that there would be no review or stoppage of the scheme.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, after reconsidering his statement, said, “Karnataka guarantee model is a model for the entire country. The BJP and other parties are also adopting it and we are proud that we could implement that and we could deliver that. The people of Karnataka and the country are very happy with our model, ” Shivakumar told reporters.

Speaking to media reporters, DK Shivakumar said his statement was twisted and whatever the elders say we have to follow that. “Whatever our elders say, we follow that. My statement was twisted. A few have suggested what I have said. There is no question of closing the schemes. I had just said that we will discuss it. But the BJP just wants to do politics. They have nothing to do better,” he said.