Karnataka Budget: Congress Cracks Down on Moral Policing And Fake News Peddlers

Karnataka Chief minister Siddaramaiah is presenting the second state budget for this fiscal worth around Rs 3.3 lakh crore on Friday with the total expenditure at Rs 3,27,747 crore and revenue expenditure at Rs 2,50,933 crore. The capital expenditure for the budget is at Rs 54,374 crore and loan repayment at Rs 22,441 crore, reported ANI.

This is the first budget after the Congress government assumed power in the state with a landslide victory in assembly elections. This is the seventh budget by Siddaramaiah as a chief minister. He had presented six budgets during his tenure as Karnataka chief minister between 2013 and 2018.

Congress poll promises

Seeking to highlight the Congress party's poll promises, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said approximately Rs 52,000 crore would be spent annually for the five key poll 'guarantees' and it is expected to benefit 1.3 crore families. The five 'guarantees' are related to free bus travel for women, 200 units of free electricity, 10 kilograms of free food grains to the poor, Rs 2,000 for the woman head of the house and unemployment benefit of up to Rs 3,000.

Delivering on another of its promises made in the poll manifesto, the Congress government affirming its commitment to law and order declared a crackdown on moral policing and communalisation. While presenting his speech he reiterated that stringent action will be taken against individuals who harass people in the name of moral policing.

But the crackdown wasn't just limited to moral policing as Siddaramaiah added that strict action will also be taken against those who spread fake news through social media.

Siddaramaiah said in his Budget speech. “Stringent action will be taken against those who harass people in the name of ‘moral policing’, spread fake news through social media and disturb social harmony. Our government will take all measures to ensure law and order and restore peace and communal harmony in society.”