Congress' HM Revanna hits back at PM Modi, defends Karnataka welfare schemes

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 2 (ANI): The Karnataka Congress government held a press conference on Saturday to address ongoing concerns and criticisms regarding its key welfare schemes.
State Guarantee Implementation Committee Chairman and senior Congress leader HM Revanna, alongside KPCC Vice President VS Ugrappa and PR Ramesh, outlined the government's achievements in implementing five core schemes, while refuting allegations that they may be discontinued.
Revanna stated that the Congress government has fully delivered on its five pre-election guarantees. "As soon as our government came to power, we implemented these five guarantees," he said while highlighting the Shakti Scheme, which provides free bus travel for women in Karnataka. "Women are travelling in the bus for free," he added, underlining the scheme's impact on women's mobility across the state.
The Congress leader further said," Regarding our guarantees, the PM said that these can't implemented...but then he himself started ' Modi's guarantee'...many BJP-ruled states are introducing schemes like these.."
Addressing Prime Minister Modi's recent remarks questioning the sustainability of these schemes, Revanna accused the Prime Minister of spreading "slander" against the state's initiatives. "Prime Minister Modi had spread slander against our guarantee," Revanna said, noting that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also clarified that the Shakti Scheme would continue as promised.
Revanna then addressed concerns about the Griha Lakshmi Scheme, which provides financial support to women. "Some people are spreading slander about it," he noted, affirming that all eligible women will receive benefits despite delays due to technical issues. "Now everyone is getting the benefit of the Griha Lakshmi scheme," he added.
"We have not said anywhere that we will stop the Shakti Scheme," Revanna assured, reaffirming the Congress government's commitment to its promises despite challenges.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi stirred responses from Congress leaders following his tweet, in which he accused Congress of making "unreal promises" during election campaigns. In his tweet, PM Modi claimed, "The Congress Party is realising the hard way that making unreal promises is easy, but implementing them properly is tough or impossible. Campaign after campaign, they promise things to the people, which they also know they will never be able to deliver."
Modi also cited issues in Congress-ruled states, stating that the "developmental trajectory and fiscal health is turning from bad to worse" in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana. He alleged that Congress's unfulfilled promises were misleading the poor, youth, farmers, and women and that existing welfare schemes were being neglected. Modi urged the public to be vigilant against what he termed the "Congress-sponsored culture of fake promises" and cited Haryana's recent election results as evidence of people rejecting Congress. (ANI)