NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday accused the BJP of spreading misinformation regarding food rations in India, asserting that the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, 10 kg free rice guarantee scheme, successfully implemented in Karnataka, will be extended nationwide under an I.N.D.I.A. bloc government.
In response to claims made by the BJP regarding food rations, the Congress emphasised its commitment to the 'Anna Bhagya' initiative during a press conference. The party's assertion came a day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that if the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) is voted to power, it will double the quantity of free rations provided by the BJP government to the poor.
In a statement posted on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the Prime Minister and the BJP of misleading the public on food rations in India.
“This is the real chronology' of recent events: The National Food Security Act, passed in September 2013 by the Manmohan Singh Government, provided grains for 80 crore Indians (based on 2011 Census). It was opposed in writing by only one CM: the-then CM of Gujarat. As PM, Narendra Modi did nothing to implement the National Food Security Act, 2013,” Ramesh claimed.
Ramesh further criticised the rebranding of the National Food Security Act, 2013, as the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) during the Covid-19 pandemic, labelling it as a mere marketing ploy. He argued that the delay in conducting the decadal Census scheduled for 2021 has deprived at least 14 crore Indians of essential benefits, emphasising that the Census is still pending three years after its due date.
Referring to the political context in Karnataka, Ramesh said, “After being decisively rejected by the people of Karnataka during the Assembly elections in May 2023, the outgoing PM took his revenge on Kannadigas by sabotaging the Congress's Anna Bhagya 10kg free rice guarantee. But the Congress state government stood up to him and is implementing Anna Bhagya robustly across the state.”
At a press conference in Lucknow on Wednesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated the party's commitment to extending the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme nationwide under the I.N.D.I.A. Janbandhan government if elected on June 4. Kharge pledged to increase the current allotment of grain under the National Food Security Act/Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
The Congress's announcement underscores its determination to prioritize food security and welfare measures, positioning itself as a viable alternative to the ruling BJP ahead of the upcoming elections.
