Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal today castigated the Punjab Congress for playing politics with the poor and denying them access to supplies of flour and pulses under the "atta - daal" scheme.In a statement here, the SAD President said it was surprising that the Punjab Congress had objected to the supply of atta and daal and urged the Election Commission of India to stop this facility. "We understand the Punjab Congress is scared of the popularity of the "atta - daal" scheme and wants to stop it all cost despite the act that lakhs of people in the State are dependent on it for subsidised ration".
Badal said it was due to the ceaseless pursuit of the case by the SAD- BJP alliance that the Election Commission had allowed partial distribution of food packets under the scheme for one month.
He said the government had made arrangements for supplying each family with six months supply of flour under the scheme. "Now distribution has been restricted to one month supply. Though we are committed to smooth and ceaseless distribution of ration under this scheme, the Congress and its obscurantist policies will be responsible if there is any delay in supply of ration under this scheme to the people, he added.The SAD President said it was unfortunate that the EC had taken heed of the spurious Congress complaint. " The EC should have taken into account the fact that the Atta - Daal scheme was being run smoothly in the State for more than five years now. Ration under the scheme was not stopped even during the last assembly elections", he added.The SAD President said the Punjab Congress might have succeeded to stop the smooth flow of rations to the poor but would now have to bear the brunt of the anger of the under privileged. He urged the entire under privileged section of society which was benefitting through bulk supply of flour and pulses to teach the Congress a lesson it would never forget.