Punjab News: The Aam Aadmi Party has strongly criticized the removal of thousands of names from the state’s ration list. Ministers and MLAs accused BJP leaders of illegally collecting people’s personal data under the guise of government schemes and demanded the immediate suspension of such practices.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers and MLAs on Sunday held press conferences in all districts and launched a scathing attack on the Central Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government against the alleged attempts to remove the names of lakhs of people from the free ration list in Punjab. AAP leaders alleged that the central government is conspiring to stop the free ration of 55 lakh people of Punjab, which they will not tolerate at any cost.
AAP Slams BJP Ration Conspiracy
Several MLAs, including AAP’s Punjab president and cabinet minister Aman Arora, Harpal Cheema, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Laljit Bhullar, Dr. Baljit Kaur, Tarunpreet Sondh, Dr. Balbir Singh, Hardeep Mundian, and Mohinder Bhagat, said in a press conference at the district headquarters, “The BJP and the central government are conspiring to stop the free ration of 55 lakh Punjabis. They are doing this to harass the people of Punjab and the farmers here. But we will not tolerate this and will not let the name of even a single Punjabi be removed from the free ration list.”
Serious allegations against the central government
AAP leaders claimed that the Centre stopped the ration of 23 lakh Punjabis in July on the pretext of KYC, and now it is threatening to stop the ration of 32 lakh more people from September 30. They termed it as injustice to Punjab and an attempt to harass the common people. AAP leaders asserted, “As long as there is an Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, we will not let a single ration card be cancelled.”
Allegations of anti-poor policy
Calling the Centre’s decision anti-Punjab and anti-poor, AAP leaders said, “Free ration is a big support for the poor. Even thinking of stopping it is a big sin.” They raised the question, “The Central Government claims to provide free rations to 80 crore people, but in Punjab it is planning to cancel the ration cards of 55 lakh people. Why does the BJP hate the people of Punjab so much?” AAP called it a new tactic of ‘ration theft’ after ‘vote theft.’
BJP’s anti-poor agenda exposed
The leaders called the Centre’s excuses for cancelling ration cards ridiculous. They said, “If one member of a family commits a mistake, the entire family cannot be punished for it. This has exposed the BJP’s anti-poor agenda. BJP’s politics is to keep the poor and common people in trouble.”
Contribution of Punjab and discrimination of the Center
Talking about the contribution of Punjab, AAP leaders said that Punjab made the country self-sufficient in terms of grains through the Green Revolution. Earlier, the country had to ask for grains from countries like America, but Punjab always kept the reserves of wheat and rice full. He said, “Now the same Punjab is being deprived of rations. This is extremely unfortunate and condemnable.” The leaders appealed to the Center to stop treating Punjab stepmotherly and reconsider the new conditions of the ration card.
Questions also arose on data theft
AAP accused BJP leaders of illegally collecting personal data of people in the name of government schemes. The party said, “BJP has already been exposed for manipulating voter lists and its tactics to grab power. Now the whole country knows that BJP leaders steal elections through fake votes.” AAP appealed to the people, “Wherever BJP leaders are seen, ask them why the names of lakhs of people of Punjab are being removed from the ration list. If they do not answer, then boycott them collectively.”
