Bandi Sanjay dares AIMIM, slams Congress over ration cards

The Story in Brief

Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday challenged AIMIM to stop a mass Vande Mataram recital planned at Charminar's Bhagyalakshmi Temple, accusing the party of boycotting the national song in the Assembly. He said insulting the song could attract a three-year jail term. At a BJP press conference, he also targeted the Congress government over smart ration cards that show the CM's photo but not Prime Minister Narendra Modi's. Sanjay said the Centre provides free rice to nearly 2 crore people through 57 lakh ration cards in Telangana and demanded to know why the PM's picture is excluded if central funds are used.

He further alleged the Congress government takes credit for central schemes, a practice inherited from the previous BRS regime. Sanjay questioned the claim of distributing free rice to 3.43 crore people in a state of about 3.5 crore, asking if 30 lakh income-tax payers also get free ration. He attacked the government on pending fee reimbursement dues and unfulfilled promises, and said 95 lakh acres out of Telangana's 2.77 crore acres have been placed in the prohibited list under Section 22A of the Registration Act, causing distress to genuine owners.