New Delhi:
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi today tore into the government on the Food Security Bill, calling it a half-baked measure designed to fool people for votes.
"It's not Food Security, but a Vote Securing Bill," Mr Joshi said in the Lok Sabha, leading the opposition charge as the debate on government's flagship measure began today after many delays. He questioned the UPA, "what were you doing for four years? When you came to power, you were supposed to bring the Bill - now you are bringing the Bill, you are about to go out of power."
The BJP leader echoed objections raised by Narendra Modi, the party's presumptive Prime Minister, who had written to the PM earlier this month outlining five main objections to the Food Bill.
Mr Modi's main objection was that the scheme will not entitle beneficiaries to adequate calorie intake, and promote malnutrition.
Repeating some of those objections, Mr Joshi said the government should "apologize" for bringing a Bill after all this time that did not cover the whole nation and was not a universal guarantee.
"What will those not covered by Food Security Bill eat? Spectrum? Coal?" asked the BJP veteran, taking a swipe at the government over the spectrum and coal allocation scandals.
"You are showing them a Utopian world," he added.
The BJP leader also egged on a key UPA ally as he turned to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and said: "This Bill is anti-farmer. Don't just go out and support it."