“Sanitisers For Reach From Poor’s Share of Rice”: Rahul Gandhi Blasts Central Govt.

The attack came a day after the government said that excess rice in godowns will be converted into ethanol to produce hand sanitizers.

Mumbai| Rahul Gandhi has slammed the central government saying the rice that should belong to the poor is being used to clean the “hands of the rich”.The attack came a day after the government said that excess rice in godowns will be converted into ethanol to produce hand sanitizers and will be added in petrol to reduce emission. This move is being criticized as migrants and the poor are suffering the wrath of lockdown and are failing to procure food to survive.

“After all, when will India’s poor wake up? You are dying of hunger and they are busy cleaning the hands of the rich by making sanitizers from your portion of rice,” Rahul Gandhi posted in Hindi on his Twitter handle.

आख़िर हिंदुस्तान का ग़रीब कब जागेगा? आप भूखे मर रहे हैं और वो आपके हिस्से के चावल से सैनीटाईज़र बनाकर अमीरों के हाथ की सफ़ाई में लगे हैं।https://t.co/5NjoMmsJnK

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 21, 2020

Referring to the National Policy on Biofuels, which allows the conversion of excess foodgrains into ethanol, the government on Monday informed that the decision was taken in the meeting of NBCC (National Biofuel Coordination Committee) headed by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Pradhan informed that the ministry has allowed conversion of a “small fraction” of excess foodgrains into ethanol.

An official from the petroleum ministry said that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has three times more stock than the normal buffer norms.

Since the lockdown has been imposed across the country, there has been controversy regarding the poor and migrants failing to procure food and having to sleep hungry, at a time when godowns of FCI have stocked up more food than the normal.

Many migrants, poor who are stuck in cities due to the lockdown echoed the same worry that they might die of hunger before the Covid-19 kills them.

Congress has been vocally critical of the handling of the migrants and poor issue by the Modi government.