Recently a strange incident has come to light in Karnataka, involving a Hindu man who resorted to wearing a burqa to avoid bus fare.
The video capturing the incident has quickly gone viral on social media platforms. In the footage, the man can be seen wearing a burqa and carrying a bag.
The man has been identified as Veerabhadraiah Mathapati, who allegedly used this disguise to avail free bus travel benefits offered under the Karnataka government's Shakti Yojana.
In a strange incident from Karnataka's Dharwad district, a Hindu man was seen wearing a burqa at a bus stop.
As suspicions arose among the onlookers, they approached him and began to inquire about his unusual attire. In response, the man defended himself by claiming, "I wore this burqa so that I could beg..."
However, his explanation failed to appease the crowd. The intrigue increased further when a photocopy of the Aadhaar card of a woman was found in the man's possession.
The Shakti scheme in Karnataka allows women to avail free travel in government buses within the state.
The initiative, which is one of the top five poll promises of the Congress party, was implemented recently, benefitting over 41.8 lakh women commuters daily.
According to officials, the scheme is estimated to cost the state exchequer around Rs 4,051.56 crore annually. The news agency PTI has given this information.