Agra: Former Minister and Leader of BJP King Aridaman Singh was caught on a camera on Sundays asking for a recipient of a ration card in Agra to choose “Yogi Ji”, as “they got a direct benefit from the scheme announced by the government.” Videos, which have become viral on social media, were shot when he spoke with a ration card holder at the launch of free ration distribution campaigns in all government states.
In that video, Singh looks supposed to say, “If poor people get the benefits of the government scheme, their voting must also go to the government.
This scheme is not for certain castees, because every poor get a free allotment.” He also heard in the video Ask the women to tell their brothers to choose BJP, and say, “Apart from the suggestions provided by your son or husband …
You only give you your voice to Yogi Ji.” When contacted, Singh stood with his statement saying, “If the government provides free rations to the poor, they must give their voices for it.” He said he also showed the main images of Yogi Adiak’s ministers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi printed on salt and dal packages to make them aware of their free rations.
This is to make them realize that they also have to take care of people who run the government, he added.
The Deputy President of the State Congress Upendra Singh said this was “Sarkari Blackmailing”, and the scheme was extended until 2022 March 2002 considering the election of upcoming assembly.
“The government wants to take political mileage through a government scheme, and place pressure on the public to give their votes for the Government (BJP),” he said.
If the BJP government is truly concerned about the welfare of the community, it must provide work to young people, controlling inflation and reducing gasoline and diesel prices, he added.
Ransum was freely distributed to the poor from April to November 2021 as part of PM Garebeb Kalyan Anna Yojana after the second wave of Covid-19 crashed into the nation.
After distributing free rations from Ramnavami to Deepawali, this scheme is extended to holi next year.
More than 15 crore ration card holders above will benefit under the scheme.