BJP’s ‘Deendayal Thali’ follows Shiv Bhojan

Mumbai: After Shiv Sena’s Shiv Bhojan thali, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “Deendayal Thali” has arrived in the state.

The saffron party has launched its own version of the affordable food plate on the occasion of the death anniversary of Jana Sangh leader, Deendayal Upadhyaya, in Pandharpur on Tuesday.

The move is considered a bid to counter the ruling Sena’s subsidised food scheme. However, the price of the Deendayal Thali (Rs 30) is much higher, though it will have more items than the Shiv Bhojan thali (Rs 10).

The Deendayal thali will comprise three chapatis, a bowl of rice, two vegetables, peanut chutney and mango pickle while the Shiv Bhojan thali comes with two chapatis, a vegetable (100gm), rice (150gm) and a bowl of dal.

Former minister Subhash Deshmukh inaugurated the Deendayal thali. The food centre in Pandharpur is set up near the famous temple of Lord Vitthal.

The BJP has roped in women’s self-help groups (SHGs) affiliated to the saffron party for the thali scheme. It will be made available across the state later, a BJP leader said.

However, textiles minister and Congress leader Aslam Shaikh said that the BJP has the “habit of copying such popular schemes launched by others”.

Refuting the criticism, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said that the saffron party had in the past introduced the “Atal thali” scheme.

The Shiv Bhojan thali was launched on January 26 by the Sena-led state government on a pilot basis to cater to the poor.

The Rs 10 plate of wholesome food for the poor and needy in the state was one of the major promises in the Sena manifesto for the Vidhan Sabha polls.

The Sena’s poll promise was also later included in the three-party Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s common minimum programme (CMP).