BJP national general secretary C T Ravi on Saturday triggered a war of words with the Congress by asking Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to rename Indira Canteens as “Annapoorneshwari Canteen”.
“Don't see any reason why Kannadigas should be reminded of the dark days of Emergency while they are having food,” Ravi said in a tweet, which irked the Congress.
Launched in 2017, the Indira Canteen, which serves highly subsidised food, was former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s brainchild. The canteens were initially meant to serve the urban poor in Bengaluru, but were later set up in district-taluk headquarters as well. These canteens serve breakfast for Rs 5 and lunch/dinner for Rs 10.
“Renaming the canteens will amount to politics of hatred,” Siddaramaiah said. “Naming projects and public places after national leaders is a long-held tradition in the country. There’s a flyover in Bengaluru named after Deendayal Upadhyay, bus service named after Vajpayee, a stadium in Gujarat has PM Modi’s name. Let the Centre rename all these,” he said.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shviakumar warned of protests if the Indira Canteens are renamed. “We won’t keep quiet,” he said. “Every conscious citizen acknowledges Indira Gandhi’s sacrifice and the schemes she gave to the poor,” he added.