NEW DELHI: The Karnataka BJP on Tuesday criticised the Congress’ second ‘Bharat Jodo’ foot march, calling it “misleading” and alleging that public money was being used to benefit party workers.Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra alleged that the Congress government was spending taxpayers’ money on its guarantee implementation committees and would now spend Rs 10 lakh for each gram panchayat for the Bharat Jodo programme.“First of all, they are not implementing any guarantee schemes. It has become an election gimmick for the Congress government, whether it is the Gruha Lakshmi scheme or any other scheme. They have appointed guarantee implementation committee chairpersons for each of the 224 taluks in Karnataka, and they are being paid salaries. Taxpayers’ money is being spent to maintain these Congress workers,” he said.“Now, there is another drama called the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress government is going to spend Rs 10 lakh for each Gram Panchayat for the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Where will this money come from? Again, it is taxpayers’ money. Deputy chief minister Parameshwara has directly told all district commissioners to accept the list of Bharat Jodo members submitted by the guarantee committee chairpersons. This means the Rs 10 lakh will be given to Congress workers…” he added.Leader of opposition in the Karnataka assembly Chalavadi Narayanaswamy also alleged that the organisations being given the funds were effectively Congress booth-level committees.“Bharat Jodo is misleading the people because there is nothing to unite in Bharat. Bharat has always been united. In Karnataka, in the name of Bharat Jodo, ₹10 lakh is being given to each organisation, but that organisation is nothing but a booth-level committee of the Congress party. I have learned that youngsters from other parties also wanted to join these committees, but the Congress does not want to include youths from outside the party. Therefore, these are effectively booth-level committees of the Congress party. This is a deception by the Congress party and the Congress government in Karnataka…” Narayanaswamy said.The Congress is set to launch its second ‘Bharat Jodo’ foot march in Karnataka on September 30, covering all 84 Assembly constituencies where it lost in the 2023 elections. The 84-day programme will span 29 districts and begin from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, the Assembly constituency represented by Vijayendra.
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Karnataka Congress chief B K Hariprasad said the march was being organised to mark four years since Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Karnataka on September 30, 2022. The programme will begin with a public meeting and will subsequently cover the remaining constituencies from October 4-5 onwards.Congress has said the choice of Shikaripura was intended to highlight what it describes as shortcomings in BJP programmes. The party also plans to use the march to raise awareness about the functioning of constitutional institutions.
