DK Shivakumar said Karnataka’s guarantee schemes inspired similar welfare measures across India and in the US.
He linked Donald Trump’s proposed $5,000 “dividend” to Karnataka’s welfare model.
Shivakumar also criticised the BJP’s Hindutva politics, Ujjwala scheme and alleged Ram Temple fund misuse.
‘Trump Is Copying Us’: DK Shivakumar Says Trump’s $5,000 ‘Dividend’ Mirrors Karnataka’s Guarantee Model
Trump has promised a $5,000 payment to every American adult if Republicans retain control of both houses of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections
Summary
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the Congress government’s guarantee schemes in the state have inspired similar moves in other parts of India and even in the United States. Speaking at an event at the Congress office, Shivakumar said that Karnataka’s model had spread beyond the state.
“Now they copied us in Maharashtra, copied us in Madhya Pradesh, in Rajasthan, in Bihar, and now Trump is copying us,” Shivakumar said. “This is the strength of the Congress party. The entire world is watching our Constitution today,” he added as per PTI.
Trump's Plan
Trump has promised a $5,000 payment to every American adult if Republicans retain control of both houses of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. He made the announcement on September 9 at a Republican midterm convention rally in Dallas, Texas, Hindustan Times reported.
Trump said Americans would receive $5,000 if Republicans win the November 3 elections. He described the proposed payment as the “Trump dividend”.
Details remain limited. The proposed payout is aimed at American adults, but Trump has not provided full eligibility norms. He also said the money would have to be spent in the United States, according to USA Today.
Congress Welfare Claims
Shivakumar tied that proposal to Karnataka’s welfare model. He said schemes introduced by the state had been replicated in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar.
He framed the Congress government’s guarantee schemes in Karnataka as the model others had copied. In his telling, the party’s welfare politics had travelled far beyond the state.
Shivakumar’s BJP Attack
Shivakumar also widened his political attack. At the same event, he accused the BJP of using Hindutva for political purposes. He said the Congress believed in serving people regardless of caste or religion.
“Some people do this theatrically in the name of religion,” Shivakumar said told PTI. He also criticised the Centre’s Ujjwala scheme while referring to the rise in LPG prices.
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He further alleged that money and materials donated for the Ram Temple had been misused. “They took the money meant for Rama and misappropriated it. You sent bricks from here, you sent money, and they misused it. We will not do that,” Shivakumar said.
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