IN a bid to counter the ruling Shiv Senau2019s politics of subsidised food, the opposition BJP in Maharashtra on Tuesday launched its own cheap lunch plate on the occasion of the death anniversary of Jana Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyaya.
Priced at R 30, the u201c Deendayal Thaliu201d will have more food items than the R 10 u201c Shiv Bhojan Thaliu201d, which was launched by the Sena- led government on January 26 on a pilot basis.
The u201c Deendayalu201d lunch plate has three chapatis, a bowl of rice, two vegetables, peanut chutney and mango pickle while the u201c Shivbhojanu201d thali has two chapatis, a vegetable ( 100 gm), 150 gm of rice, and a bowl of dal. The BJP has roped in women self- help groups affiliated to the saffron party, for the thali scheme.
The lunch plate was launched in the temple town of Pandharpur in Solapur district. It will be made available across the state later, a BJP leader said.
The u201c Deendayal thaliu201d centre in Pandharpur is set up near the famous temple of Lord Vitthal. It was inaugurated by former minister Subhash Deshmukh.
Speaking in Mumbai, Maharashtra Textiles Minister and Congress leader Aslam Shaikh, said the BJP has the u201c habit of copying such BJP launches its own u2018 Deendayalu2019 thali for R 30 popular schemes launched by othersu201d. Refuting the criticism, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said the saffron party had in the past introduced u201c Atal thali schemeu201d. Agencies
