Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government, alleging that it is preparing to withdraw free ration benefits from lakhs of poor families in the state. Addressing a press conference on August 23, Mann claimed that out of Punjab’s total 1.53 crore ration card holders, nearly 55 lakh beneficiaries face the risk of losing their entitlement to free foodgrains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
The Chief Minister said that ration for 23 lakh people has already been stopped since July, with the Centre citing non-completion of eKYC as the reason. “Now they have issued a threat that another 32 lakh poor Punjabis will be denied ration after September 30. This is nothing but an attempt to starve the very state which has fed the nation for decades,” Mann alleged.
He accused the Centre of using KYC as an excuse to deprive the needy of their rights. “The pretext of eKYC is being misused to choke supplies. Punjab has stood as the granary of India, contributing the maximum wheat and rice to the central pool. Yet, the BJP government is trying to push Punjabis into hunger. This is nothing short of ration theft after vote theft,” he said, echoing his party’s sharp criticism.
Mann maintained that the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab is committed to protecting the poor. He announced that he has already written to the Centre, seeking an extension of six months to complete the eKYC process. “My team will personally go from house to house to get the eKYC done for every poor family. No one will be left out. I want to assure every Punjabi that as long as I am the Chief Minister, I will not allow the BJP to cancel even a single ration card,” he declared.
The Chief Minister’s remarks come at a time when the issue of welfare schemes and social security is gaining political weight ahead of upcoming electoral contests. Food security has been a sensitive matter in Punjab, where millions of low-income families depend on subsidised rations for survival. The state has often pointed out that while it shoulders the burden of feeding the country, its own farmers and labourers face economic distress.
Mann’s accusations are likely to intensify the already simmering confrontation between the AAP government in Punjab and the BJP-led Centre. AAP has been accusing the BJP of targeting opposition-ruled states by restricting benefits and using bureaucratic technicalities to undermine welfare schemes. The Chief Minister framed the dispute as one between Punjab’s poor and a “stepmotherly” treatment from Delhi, asserting that his government would resist any attempt to take away the rights of the needy.
Meanwhile, his comments are expected to mobilise political support in rural areas, where dependence on ration cards remains high. By casting the issue as a fight between the state and the Centre, Mann has sought to portray himself as the protector of Punjab’s poor, standing up against what he described as “anti-people policies” of the BJP government.
As the September 30 deadline approaches, the standoff over ration cards is set to become a flashpoint in Punjab’s political discourse. With AAP leaders planning to highlight the issue across districts, Mann’s strong stance indicates that his government is ready to turn food security into a rallying point against the BJP.