New Delhi: BJP on Friday made clear its reservation over the Food Security Bill being keenly pushed by the government, saying it is a "half-hearted attempt", and hit back at Rahul Gandhi for saying opposition was stalling it.
Till now BJP had said it was disrupting Parliament in the second phase of the Budget session due to more pressing matter of resignation of two Union ministers - PK Bansal and Ashwani Kumar. BJP President Rajnath Singh has said his party favours passage of the Food Bill with some amendments.
However, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar today said the Food Security Bill of the UPA government is a "half-hearted attempt" and refuted the charge of Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi that BJP does not want to pass the Bill.
"Congress is in the habit of blaming BJP. Gandhi's charge is absolute rubbish. Instead of blaming others, Congress should blame itself for non-passage of Food Security Bill," he said. BJP maintained if Congress has any compassion for the poor, it should emulate the Food Security Act of Chhattisgarh, claiming it ensures "more coverage, more foodgrains and less cost to the poor".
"It is the callous and casual approach of Congress towards the poor which has resulted in a half-hearted Bill," Javadekar alleged. BJP claimed the Chhattisgarh Food Security Act is more inclusive as it provides foodgrains to 90 per cent of the population unlike the Centre's Bill which covers only 67 per cent. Even the foodgrains provided by Chhattisgarh is more than what the Centre will provide.
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