Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s younger brother Prahlad Modi who is the national vice-president of All-India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation, in an agitation against the Central Government on Monday warned the BJP that ration shop keepers could sink the party in the upcoming UP and Bihar elections, if their demands are not met.
Prahlad Modi has been fighting for the rights of the people under PDS and also the shopkeepers in Gujarat for the past five-six years and Mumbai's demonstration too highlighted the shortage of foodgrain and kerosene supply in fair price shops.
Source: News18
During the agitation held in Azad Maidan, Prahlad Modi, in a 45-minute speech, demanded an increase in the commission for rationing distributors and an assurance that each distributor will have at least 1000 cardholders. The association wants 76% beneficiaries in rural areas be covered under the food security act (FSA), other commodities too be distributed under the public distribution system (PDS), hike in commissions, distribution of full quota of kerosene, and the plan to introduce cash transfers be put on hold.
“Over 75,000 rationing distributors worked for BJP in the Lok Sabha election in UP, which resulted in the party winning 73 of the 80 seats in the state. But for the Delhi assembly polls, they worked against BJP, and it won only three of the 70 seats. If the Central government does not meet our demands, then the BJP will lose the Bihar and Uttar Pradesh assembly elections," Modi is quoted as saying by the Times of India,
In Maharashtra, they demanded that the government should restore the subsidy to the 1.77 crore people who fall in the category of above poverty line (APL), said a another report in the Indian Express. APL cardholders were given subsidy by the earlier Congress-NCP government in the state as they were not covered in the Food Security Act of the Centre. Distribution of grains to APL has stopped due to the withdrawal of the subsidy.
On March 17, the association will launch another protest from Ramlila Ground to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
In order to shield Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prahlad even said that his fight was against the policy and the system. He said, “I respect him (Narendra Modi). Our fight is not against him, but the system. Media is trying to drive a wedge between us."
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