India, Oct. 14 -- A remark by senior Congress MLA and former minister RV Deshpande has set off a political storm in Karnataka, with opposition leaders and even some within the ruling party seizing on his statement that he would not have implemented the Congress government's flagship five guarantees if he were chief minister.

At a public programme in Dandeli, Deshpande questioned the economic and social wisdom of the welfare schemes, saying they had altered gender dynamics and strained public finances. "The Siddaramaiah government gave five guarantees, Rs.2,000 every month to women -- it's a lottery for them. The situation of men has worsened. If men speak much, they will be punished," the veteran leader said.

Deshpande, an eight-time ML...