Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Friday clarified that the social media post shared by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the two ‘world record’ achievements of Shakti Yojana was later removed to avoid distraction.
What was in the post and why was there controversy?
The Chief Minister had posted on his official Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has been recognized by ‘London Book of World Records’. There were two main things in the post. Since 1997, KSRTC has received 464 national and international honors and under the Shakti scheme, Karnataka has set the record for the highest number of free bus rides for women.
Before X users noted that a private British company called ‘London Book of World Records Limited’ was dissolved in July 2025 according to the UK Companies House. These certificates quickly went viral. The post was soon tagged with a community note questioning the authenticity of the organization and was removed within a day.
Minister’s clarification
In his clarification, Reddy said that the post was removed to avoid distraction. Despite this, he also said that the achievements mentioned in the post are “factual, verifiable and not dependent on any third party validation.” He also described the London Book of World Records as a private records institution, which has previously honored several Indian public figures and institutions, including former Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and the Government of Puducherry.
praised shakti scheme
The minister also informed that recently the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Philemon Yang, had appreciated Karnataka’s guarantee schemes, including Shakti Yojana. He described these schemes as important for promoting gender equality and inclusive public service. Reddy reiterated that the performance of KSRTC and the success of Shakti Yojana is a matter of public record and pride, and said that the initiative has ensured more than 100 crore free bus trips for women in just one year.
Opposition raised questions
However, Janata Dal (Secular) targeted the government and said that this company registered in Britain actually sells record packages of gold, silver and platinum. While posting on X, the party wrote that earlier we thought that only his name was used, now even his certificates are being purchased.
—- End —-
