The claim by Congress leaders that a full meal can be enjoyed in the range of Rs 1 to Rs 12 was met with derision on Friday at the canteen of the party headquarters itself. Except tea at Rs 7 and lassi at Rs 15, nothing is available below Rs 20. A modest meal with two rotis, a bowl of rice, dal and veg cost Rs 40. Dosa costs Rs 30, Idli Rs 20, Vada Rs 30 and Upma Rs 25.
The claims by Raj Babbar, Rasheed Masood and Farooq Abdullah have invited all-round criticism and widespread ridicule and were dubbed as foolish, absurd and illogical on the social media. While the Congress tried to play down the controversy, the middle class and the poor vented their anger before inquisitive journalists, who went across the country in search of the elusive meal that the Congress leaders talked about.
The embarrassment for the Congress was most visible at the party headquarters, where the canteen price menu was topic of discussion among all and sundry who gathered there throughout the day. Congress party’s frequent visitors to the Akbar Road office ridiculed the remarks of their party’s representative. “What are they talking about IJ Indiraji had given a slogan of Garibi Hatao four decades ago. Are they mocking povertyIJ” said a party activist.
He has to spend almost Rs 100 whenever he visits the party office on meal and tea. Another colleague slammed the poverty line figure of Rs 28 and Rs 32 for rural and urban areas arrived at the planning commission under its Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia. “According to media reports then, Mr Ahluwalia had spent Rs 35 lakh to renovate his toilet. They are just playing fool with the sentiments of poor people and will have to pay a heavy price in elections,” he pointed.
Meanwhile, Congress MP and party spokesperson Raj Babbar regretted his remarks on meals at Rs 12. Party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury said that Raj Babbar has categorically regretted the Rs 12-meal remarks and the party too disapproved his statement. “He (Raj Babbar) has issued a categorical statement expressing regret. So we should leave the matter there,” Chowdhury said at a Press conference.
Chowdhury said she was not aware in what context Babbar had made the remarks but mentioned she had no authority to condemn or otherwise Babbar's statement. Earlier in the day, Congress' Communication Department in-charge and former Union Minister Ajay Maken said, "We do not agree with Rs 12 and Rs 5 statement of some leaders." Maken took the opportunity to attack the BJP for criticising the Rs 33.30 poverty line figures of the Planning Commission when the BJP-led NDA Government itself had accepted Rs 16.73 Pl in 59th NSSO survey of 2003.