Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 17 Amid high drama following the admission of a lapse in the disbursement of Gruha Laxmi scheme installments, Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar, targeting the opposition, claimed that she was being singled out because she is a woman. The BJP strongly objected to the remark and asked her not to play the victim card.
The Minister made the statement after BJP leaders strongly demanded an unconditional apology for allegedly providing false information to the House regarding the release of two installments of Rs 2,000 each to 1.26 crore beneficiaries under the Gruha Laxmi scheme.
Minister Hebbalkar had earlier admitted on the floor of the House that she had stated the February and March installments had been released, but later realised that the payments were still pending.
Hebbalkar said she regretted it if she had hurt the sentiments of members of the House. The BJP strongly objected to the statement and demanded an unconditional apology. Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka said the issue was not about whether members were hurt, but about the Minister’s hesitation to apologise to the 1.26 crore beneficiaries of the Gruha Laxmi scheme.
As BJP members expressed similar views, the Minister tendered an apology but added: "All of you are targeting me because I am a woman."
The remark triggered an uproar, with BJP members strongly objecting, while Congress members came to her defence.
Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil said it was unfair for the entire opposition to target a woman Minister even after she had apologised.
Senior MLA and former Minister S. Suresh Kumar responded by saying: "Let us not play the victim card."
Patil said there was a provision for Ministers to correct mistakes if any error occurred and alleged that the BJP was unnecessarily raking up the issue.
Opposition leader Ashoka said the Minister should not take shelter behind her gender.
"She has equal status with male Ministers and, in fact, holds a higher constitutional position than other members. She failed to give a proper answer to a simple question and instead made unnecessary references," he said.
Earlier, while BJP MLAs staged a protest in the well of the House, Ashoka said, “We staged this protest on an issue concerning the people of the state. We believe you, Speaker U.T. Khader, are the judge. You stated on the floor of the House that the concerned Minister had said dues were cleared up to August, which would mean that the February and March dues were also cleared.”
“Now, your honour is at stake. This is not about us. About 1.26 crore beneficiaries are awaiting the Gruha Laxmi instalments, which have not been credited yet,” he said.
Ashoka said BJP members had repeatedly pointed out to the Minister that she was providing incorrect information and that the February and March instalments had not been released.
Quoting the Minister, Ashoka said she had stated, while addressing BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginakayi: “Instalments have been paid up to August. You are speaking about February and March. Please understand what I have said.”
"She said this in a tone suggesting that members should not question the issue further," Ashoka alleged.
"Three days have passed. On the first day, I raised the issue and was assured that the Minister would reply the next day. Till now, there has been no answer. This issue involves nearly Rs 5,000 crore. Every month, Rs 2,480 crore is required to release Rs 2,000 to every woman head of a family in the state. Where has the money gone?" Ashoka asked.
"Under which law can instalment payments be skipped? Which law permits payments for later months without clearing pending dues from earlier months?" he questioned.
Ashoka said the Minister could have simply told the House that she would recheck the matter and respond later. “Instead, she chose to shout. What does that mean?” he asked, adding that she must apologise to the state and the beneficiaries of the Gruha Laxmi scheme.
Speaker U.T. Khader asked opposition members to return to their designated seats, stating that Minister Hebbalkar had come to the House to give her reply and that it would not reflect well to continue protesting in the well of the House.
As opposition MLAs did not relent, Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy urged Ashoka to cooperate, stating that his demand for the Minister’s reply was being met.
Senior MLA S. Suresh Kumar said the issue involved two aspects: the incorrect information provided to the House and the impact on beneficiaries. Drawing a historical analogy, he said: “Mysuru ruler Hyder Ali allegedly delayed soldiers’ salaries by five days every month and eventually deprived them of an entire month’s salary in a year. Likewise, the Congress-led government appears to be following a similar approach.”
Congress Ministers and MLAs strongly objected to the remark and condemned it. Speaker Khader again appealed to the opposition to return to their seats, stating that a positive message should go out and that constructive debate must take place. “Let the House come to order,” he said.
Ashoka agreed to comply but warned that if the Minister’s answer was unsatisfactory, BJP members would return to the well of the House.
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