Bengaluru, 16 August

Senior BJP leader R Ashoka has called for a white paper detailing every rupee spent and all beneficiaries covered under Karnataka’s guarantee schemes, after alleging discrepancies in figures presented by Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. Addressing the issue on X, Ashoka said, "Independence Day is a day to speak the truth, not manufacture convenient numbers," criticising the CM for contradicting official records. 

He pointed out that for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, official figures showed 1.24 crore beneficiaries, yet the CM claimed 1.28 crore, raising questions about the extra 4 lakh beneficiaries. Similarly, he highlighted inconsistencies in the expenditure on the Shakti scheme, with figures varying from Rs 18,943 crore to Rs 19,771 crore in official communications, but just Rs 14,875 crore cited on Independence Day. 

Ashoka questioned the accuracy of these figures, urging the government to publish a complete, audited account of every guarantee scheme, beneficiary database, and expenditure details, and to clarify discrepancies between departments and statements.