Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar has questioned the Telangana government’s decision to print photographs of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on smart PDS ration cards.
Sanjay Kumar also questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph was not included on the cards, despite the Centre providing rice to the state government.
“Neither the chief minister nor the concerned minister is permanent,” he told reporters on Saturday, claiming that around Rs 600 crore was being spent on the smart cards.
He cited Karnataka, where ration cards issued by the Congress government carried the photograph of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and allegedly became unusable after he left office.
“The government of Narendra Modi is providing rice to 57 lakh ration cards in Telangana. It is Modi ji who is giving rice and funds. You are printing your photos. What right do you have?” he said.
Referring to the legislation making insults to Vande Mataram a punishable offence, Sanjay Kumar alleged that AIMIM members had walked out of the Telangana Assembly when the national song was played in the past.
He announced plans to organise a Vande Mataram singing programme involving one lakh people at the Bhagyalakshmi Temple near Charminar and challenged AIMIM leaders to stop it.
Sanjay Kumar also alleged that the Congress government was no different from the previous BRS regime, claiming that it had failed to fulfil several election promises, including financial assistance for unemployed youth and reimbursement of students’ tuition fees.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Saturday launched the distribution of smart PDS cards in Sangareddy town.
(With inputs from PTI)