Maheish Girri, former Lok Sabha MP and BJP leader preparing food packets at a community kitchen at Mayur Vihar in New Delhi on Tuesday | express
Maheish Girri, former Lok Sabha MP and BJP leader preparing food packets at a community kitchen at Mayur Vihar in New Delhi on Tuesday | express

BJP leaders going the extra mile

Several party leaders have been quick in providing ration and food to people worst hit by lockdown

NEW DELHI: When the nationwide lockdown was enforced last month, the state leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi wanted to run community kitchens in 280 wards with the help of councillors and local volunteers. The plan didn’t take off as resources couldn’t be mobilised. This setback though didn’t deter a group of Delhi BJP leaders.

The BJP leaders have developed a robust mechanism through social media, which has enabled them to deliver essentials to a person within 30 minutes in the national capital. With the help of various self-help groups and individuals, since March 24, they have been ensuring that food is provided to the destitute, casual workers and other sections hit hard by lockdown restrictions.

“I forwarded a request to a BJP leader in east Delhi for ration to one family in Kalyanpuri, which was delivered in 30 minutes. I was surprised with their promptness,” said a resident of north Delhi. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, also an MP from northeast Delhi, sends atta (flour), rice and daily necessities to various localities across the city regularly. Initially, he would distribute cooked meal, prepared by his cook at his residence, among slum dwellers in New Delhi areas.

Ashish Sood, former general secretary of Delhi BJP, provides food twice a day to about 3,500 people in addition to ration to 1,000 families in west Delhi for which he gets support from International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and party colleagues.

With the ongoing lockdown, he plans to continue distribution of relief material until restrictions are lifted. “We are expecting several beneficiaries to go up in a couple of days so we are arranging to accommodate more people,” he said.

South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri, former north Delhi Mayor Ravinder Gupta, standing committee chairman of North Delhi Municipal Corporation Jai Prakash, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor and Laxmi Nagar MLA Abhay Kumar Verma have been arranging cooked meal and raw material to hundreds of poor residents, daily wagers, and people staying in shelters every day.        

Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, who has a massive social media presence serves as an important link between needy and benefactors. He diverts requests for help to them, which is attended promptly.

“I have been facilitating more than 2,500 requests for relief daily; not in Delhi but also other states. People acknowledge my appeal and extend all possible support,” said Bagga. 

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