Bengaluru/IBNS: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has made a U-turn after he was pulled up by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for an appeal to revisit the state government's Shakti scheme that allows free travel in buses for women, media reports said.

On Wednesday, Shivakumar claimed several women are eager to pay for the bus travels.

After the inauguration of 20 Airavat Club Class seater buses at the Vidhan Soudha, Shivakumar had said as quoted by Deccan Herald, "This guarantee was announced by Rahul Gandhi in Mangaluru. Some women (now) say they are ready to pay but conductors won't accept it.

"That's one class, comprising maybe 5-10 per cent. We will sit down with (Transport Minister) Ramalinga Reddy and discuss these things."

At the Congress party office in Bengaluru, Kharge pulled up Kharge publicly saying the latter's comment created "doubts and that's enough for those who want to criticise".

The Congress president also said he promised the five guarantees which were made to the people of Karnataka prior to the elections.

"There is no such proposal before the government," said Siddaramaiah quickly as quoted by The News Minute.

In a U-turn after the party's disapproval, Shivakumar said on Friday, "Of course the Karnataka guarantee model is a model for the entire country. The BJP and other parties are also adopting it.

"We are very proud that we could implement and deliver that. People of Karnataka and the country are very happy with our model."