Karnataka School Teacher Suspended For Sharing Post Critical To Congress’ Freebies

A Karnataka school teacher has been allegedly suspended for sharing a social media post critical of the freebies promised by the newly elected Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The lower primary school teacher from the Chitradurga district shared a post that mentioned how loans incurred by the Congress government will drive the state into debt.

The post went on to mention the loan incurred by the former Karnataka Chief Ministers. According to HM Rajashekhar Hiremath, from SM Krishna to Jagadish Shettar, from HD Kumaraswamy to BS Yediyurappa, the southern state was already in debt and Siddaramaiah has furthered the same.

Hiremath also claimed that the loan to be incurred by Siddaramaiah to fulfil Congress’ poll promises is more than any other former CMs in Karnataka. “The state is already deep in debt. Siddaramaiah has come again to dive state in debt,’ Hiremath said in his Facebook post.

What are the freebies promised by Congress?
In the run-up to May 10 assembly polls, the Congress party made five key promises to woo the voters. The first guarantee is to offer 200 units of electricity for free to every household. Second, the party assured jobless graduates and diploma holders of an unemployment benefit of Rs 3,000 per month and Rs 1,500 per month, respectively.

Third, Rs 2000 has been promised to every woman heading the household. Fourth, 10 kg of free foodgrains has been promised to every member of a family below the poverty line. Lastly, Congress has promised free travel for women in state transport buses.

Notably, the implementation of these five freebies announced by the Congress party may cost the state exchequer an estimated Rs 50,000 crore annually. The vice chairman of the Congress manifesto drafting committee, Professor K E Radhakrishna, while speaking to PTI, said, “The implementation of the five guarantee schemes will not cost more than Rs 50,000 crore annually.”