Bandi Targets AIMIM, Cong. Over Vande Mataram, Ration Cards

Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday said the BJP would organise a mass recital of Vande Mataram at the Bhagyalakshmi Temple near Charminar, with lakhs of people joining. He challenged AIMIM leaders to stop the programme “if they had the courage,” saying the national song would reverberate across the Old City even if opponents “put cotton in their ears.”

At a press conference at the BJP state office, Sanjay accused AIMIM of boycotting the song in the Assembly earlier, alleging Congress had supported the party. He warned that insulting Vande Mataram could attract a three-year jail term and a fine.

On smart ration cards, Sanjay questioned the inclusion of the Chief Minister’s and ministers’ photographs while excluding that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the Centre was providing free rice to nearly two crore people through 57 lakh ration cards in Telangana. “If the rice is being provided with Central funds, why is the Prime Minister’s photograph being excluded,” he asked.

He alleged the Congress government was continuing the practices of the previous BRS regime by taking credit for Central schemes. He questioned the claim of distributing free rice to 3.43 crore people in a state with a population of about 3.5 crore, asking if free ration was also being given to 30 lakh income-tax payers.

Sanjay attacked the government over lands placed in the prohibited list under Section 22A of the Registration Act, alleging that 95 lakh acres out of Telangana’s 2.77 crore acres had been included. He said genuine owners had been visiting revenue offices for years seeking removal of their lands from the list. He also criticised the government over pending fee reimbursement dues, unfulfilled election promises and rising debt, saying faster development was possible only under a BJP-led double-engine government.