‘Shaadi Mahals’ will be closed, scholarships to continue: Bommai

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated on Tuesday that ‘Shaadi Mahals’ which have been established for conducting the marriages of the poor people belonging to the minority communities would be closed. He also clarified that there is no proposal to stop scholarships for students from such communities.

Replying in the Legislative Council to a question in this regard by the opposition Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad, Bommai clarified that there was an attempt made earlier to stop scholarships of school children and for higher education. But, nothing will be stopped, he assured.

Hariprasad had told Bommai that let the government do anything over the hijab issue, but it should not stop scholarships to minority students. “The scholarships to minority students are being stopped,” he claimed.

Bommai stated that he would allocate Rs 100 crores for the scholarships and won’t stop them. There will be no discrimination among students in this regard. Barring the ‘Shaadi Mahals’ (marriage halls) no other scheme for the minorities will be stopped, he said.

The ‘Shaadi Mahal’ scheme was introduced during the tenure of the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the BJP then in the opposition had opposed it tooth and nail.