LIVE TV
India
Recommended Stories
New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday rolled out the ambitious and "game changer" food security scheme in three Delhi, Haryana and Uttarakhand after party leaders attacked Narendra Modi and the Opposition for the delay in passage of the bill in Parliament.
Unveiling the scheme by handing over food grain packets and Aadhar-based smart cards to 12 women beneficiaries in the capital, she lauded the UPA government for bringing "revolutionary changes" in the life of common man. But, she noted that the struggle is not yet over and a lot was still to be done.
"We made the (food security) scheme so that nobody remains hungry in the country and no one's child sleeps hungry. Giving food security in such a large scale is unparallelled in the world," she said.
The party timed the launch of the scheme in the three Congress-ruled states coinciding with the 69th birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi on a day the Opposition scuttled the consideration of the measure to replace the Ordinance.
Interestingly, Union Food Minister K V Thomas unleashed an attack on Modi over his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attacking the food security measure.
"Opposition parties are not taking a positive attitude. Last week, we got a letter from the Gujarat Chief Minister. What is the purpose? The purpose is to delay the right of the people. Modi, who wants to become the next Prime Minister, is delaying this right of the people for food," he said.
Thomas said that consultations were already held with the states.
Dikshit also took potshot at the opposition parties saying they have a habit of opposing all the good initiatives of the government. "The opposition is not allowing the passage of the Bill but Congress is committed to getting it passed," she said.
