Freebies don’t guarantee poverty alleviation: BJP

Bengaluru: BJP leaders on Sunday strongly criticised the guarantee schemes launched by the Congress government in the state.

Former BJP national general secretary C T Ravi emphasized that the Congress, through its divisive politics and freebies, aimed to protect its vote bank rather than making efforts to uplift the downtrodden.

During the Constitution Day event organized by the BJP’s SC morcha here, Ravi said the Congress had attracted voters during the elections with offers of chicken, lentils, and mutton.

However, this did not truly address poverty, the former minister said.

He urged dalit voters to demand quality education and improved health infrastructure, rather than falling for such freebies, cautioning against a culture that condemns the people to perpetual poverty.

Former deputy chief minister Govind Karjol accused the Congress of using Dalits and the other backward castes as mere vote banks and failing to substantially improve their economic status.

He alleged that the Congress had thrived on divisive politics, contrary to architect of the Constitution Dr Ambedkar’s aim of eradicating the caste system.

BJP state unit president B Y Vijayendra criticised the Congress for not according due respect to Ambedkar, citing the denial of a site to build a memorial for him in Delhi and the failure to bestow the Bharat Ratna award on him.