Telangana Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Friday, September 2, lashed out at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for insisting that flex banners featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi be placed at a ration shop. Harish Rao called it ‘comical’ and said it undermined the Union government and the Prime Minister’s post to make such a demand. On Friday, Nirmala, who is touring Kamareddy and Banswada in Telangana as part of the BJP’s Parliament Pravas Yojana, visited a ration shop at Birkoor village in Banswada. There, she questioned officials about PM Modi’s flex banners not being allowed to be put up at the shop, saying the Union government bears a lion's share in the subsidised rice which is being sold at Rs 1 in the state to beneficiaries. “To put such a great leader's photo, why do you have an objection? Please bring Prime Minister’s flex and place it here,” Nirmala was heard telling district officials.
During her visit to the ration shop, addressing officials including District Collector Jitesh Patil, Nirmala expressed disappointment over objections to placing PM Modi’s banners at ration shops. “[Ration was given] completely free, without transport or storage cost, during March and April when there was COVID-19, when it was uncertain if people would have the cash to buy ration, it was given for free. Yet when we ask to put up Prime Minister’s flex, not just in this area but in Telangana, they are not allowing it. When our people try to put it up, they are being stopped and the flex is being torn and thrown away,” she said.
“Prime Minister is doing this program for the people of the country. I am saying today, that our people will put up Prime Minister’s flex here tomorrow. You as the district administrator will ensure that it shall not be removed, torn or affected. After giving everything to people for free, when they (BJP workers) ask to place one photo, why is there an objection? … He is sending [ration] for free. To put such a great leader's photo, why do you have an objection? … If there is no flex, I myself will come here again,” Nirmala was heard telling the Collector and others, as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters raised slogans saying “Long live PM Modi’s leadership.”
Watch the video of Nirmala Sitharaman here:
Rejecting Nirmala’s claims that the Union government had provided rice for free and therefore PM Modi’s banners must be placed at ration shops, Harish Rao said that the Union government only provides ration to around 50% to 55% of the ration card holders under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), for which Rs 2 out of Rs 3 is borne by the state government. The remaining 45% of card holders are supplied ration at a cost born entirely by the Telangana government, Harish Rao said. He said that Telangana has been spending Rs 3,610 crore per year on providing 10 kg of rice to the poor for free. “Are we placing our Chief Minister’s photo here?” he asked.
“I strongly condemn Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s comments during her Telangana tour yesterday and today. For a Union Finance Minister to talk about placing the Prime Minister’s photo at a ration shop is so comical. She spoke in a way that undermines the Union government and Prime Minister’s post,” he said.
- Under PMGKAY, entire cost on 5kg foodgrains given free is borne by Modi Govt
— NSitharamanOffice (@nsitharamanoffc) September 2, 2022
- Under NFSA, more than 80% of cost of foodgrains is borne by the Modi Govt
Is there any objection to poster/banner of PM Modi being displayed at ration shops?
- Smt @nsitharaman. @BJP4Telangana pic.twitter.com/2Kb0SSRLwZ
Addressing the media over Nirmala Sitharaman’s claims during her Telangana visit, Harish Rao stated that Telangana was one of the few states that the nation is dependent on for tax revenue. “Many states in India are poor. Some states give wealth to the nation which is redistributed to the poor states. Telangana is one such state. We have given the Union government Rs 1.7 lakh crore in surplus. We are providing for the Union government and several others states are given our funds. Then put KCR’s photo in those states, in the Union government,” Harish Rao said.
He repeated the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government’s claim that since the formation of Telangana, the state has paid Rs 3,65,797 crore in taxes to the Union government, but got back only around Rs 1,96,448 crore. Alleging that Union Ministers have been visiting Telangana and spreading lies, Harish Rao said, “The nation is going bankrupt under the Union government, and to hide its incompetence, it is slinging mud on states.”
Nirmala also pulled up the Kamareddy District Collector Jitesh Patil when the latter could not provide an answer to what was the Union government’s and the state's share in the rice supplied through fair price shops. "The rice which is sold at Rs 35 in the open market was being distributed to people at Rs 1 here. How much is the state government bearing?" she asked the Collector. When the official could not answer the question, the Union minister asked him to come up with an answer in the next 30 minutes. "You think about it and within half an hour, again before my address to media (come up with an answer). So that I can tell them that even if the Collector could not answer my question immediately, he struggled and got the information," she rebuked.
She said the Union government is supplying the rice in PDS shops bearing all the costs, including logistics and storage, and was trying to get an answer whether that free rice is reaching the people or not. Under the Centre's PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, the entire cost of 5 kilograms of foodgrains given free is being borne by the Modi government, the Union Minister claimed. "Under NFSA, more than 80% of cost of foodgrains is borne by the Modi Govt. Is there any objection to poster/banner of PM Modi being displayed at ration shops? Smt @nsitharaman," her office tweeted. Earlier, some Congress workers tried to protest when the Finance Minister was on her way to Banswada. Police intervened and dispersed the group.
Telangana Finance Minister KTR said he was appalled at the conduct of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman towards the Collector of Kamareddy district. "I am appalled by the unruly conduct of FM @nsitharaman today with District Magistrate/Collector of Kamareddy. These political histrionics on the street will only demoralise hardworking AIS officers (sic)," he tweeted. He also complimented Collector Jitesh V Patil on his dignified conduct.
Also read: