No, Karnataka government did not subsidize commercial vehicles just for Muslims

By: Mohammad Salman
September 8 2023

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Source: X, Facebook /Screenshot

What is the claim?

A post claiming that the government in the southern Indian state of Karnataka has announced a subsidy scheme as a "gift" to Muslims is going viral on social media. The post claims that each beneficiary will be given a subsidy up to ₹3 lakhs for buying autos, taxis, and goods vehicles. The post includes a photo of a poster announcing the scheme's details, and several users have shared this post urging Hindus to unite. 

Sharing the post on X (formerly Twitter), a user wrote, "Karnataka government's new gift to Muslims. Hindu has been sold for Rs 200-300, now look at the condition of Hindus and look at the condition of Muslims (translated from Hindi)."

This post is also being shared on Facebook with the same communal narrative. One Facebook user wrote, "..if Modi ji steps down then the same thing will happen here as is happening in Karnataka today and no one will be able to stop India from becoming an Islamic country (sic)."

Screenshot of viral posts. (Source: X, Facebook/Screenshot/Modified by Logical Facts)

However, our investigation revealed that the viral claim is misleading. The scheme in question is not only for Muslims in Karnataka but for all members of minority communities, which include Christians, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis.

What are the facts?

We came across a report by Hindustan Times about loans the state government provides to students from minority communities in Karnataka. Published on August 23, the report stated that Minority Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan had officially launched a subsidy scheme of ₹3 lakhs for unemployed persons to buy four-wheelers.

We then checked the official website of Karnataka Minority Development Corporation Limited (KMDCL) and found a statement titled, "Subsidy Scheme for Purchase of Taxi/Goods Vehicle/Passenger Autorickshaw." 

According to the provisions of the scheme, as mentioned on the website, those who have been sanctioned loans from banks for buying passenger autorickshaws/goods vehicles/taxis will be provided a subsidy of 50 percent of the cost of the vehicle or a maximum of ₹3 lakhs. The scheme guidelines mention that preference will be given to women applicants.

KMDCL mentions that the applicant should belong to a religious minority community of the state.
 (Source: KMDCL/screenshot)

The prime eligibility criteria to avail this subsidy is that the applicant should belong to a recognized religious minority community. The applicant should be a permanent resident of the state, and their annual income should be less than ₹4.5 lakh. Applicants will have to submit several documents to avail benefits of the scheme.

Nowhere does the statement mention that the beneficiaries will be exclusively from the Muslim community. It only states that the benefit of the subsidy will be given to the members of minority communities of the state.

We then checked the 'About' section of the website and found that people of Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, and Parsi communities are considered religious minorities in Karnataka.

People from Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, and Parsi communities are recognized as religious minorities in Karnataka. (Source: KMDCL/Screenshot)

The Verdict

From our investigation, it becomes clear that the Karnataka government is not providing subsidies exclusively to Muslims for purchasing commercial vehicles. The new scheme is for minority communities, which include Christians, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis as well. Therefore, we mark the viral claim as misleading.

Translated by: Rajini KG