Guarantee schemes have led women astray, says JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy; draws flak

Kumaraswamy was campaigning Saturday for BJP Tumkur Lok Sabha candidate V Somanna at Turuvekere when he made the statement. “People should listen to these few words carefully. This government announced five guarantees for elections last year, (after which) my mothers in villages have gone a little astray. We should think about what their lives will become. You should think about the lives of your families,” he told the gathering.

He also accused the Siddaramaiah government of spending Rs 300 crore in advertisements regarding the guarantee schemes over the last year.

Responding to the same, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Sunday that Kumaraswamy’s remarks “reflected his mentality”. “What does he mean when he says women have gone astray? This shows his feelings about women,” he further said.

Kumaraswamy has been CM for two terms, Siddaramaiah said, adding that people would not tolerate such remarks from the JD(S) leader.

The Karnataka Congress, in a tweet, said that Kumaraswamy has insulted women. “Does empowerment of women seem wrong for the BJP and JD(S)?” it said, asking whether such behaviour of Kumaraswamy was due to his association with the Sangh Parivar.

“It is not the women who have gone astray, it’s you,” the party said, referring to the JD(S) alliance with the BJP.

The JD(S), however, accused the Congress of spreading lies, claiming that Kumaraswamy had blamed the Congress for misleading women with guarantees. “To hide its failures, the Congress is masquerading lies as the truth,” it said, adding that it was the Congress’s old habit to distort and twist the truth.