A video of poor men picking up the subsidised food items (ration) in a Mercedes Benz car went viral on social media recently. The video didn’t go well with the netizens as they criticised the person for looting the government and people’s property despite being rich.
This incident took place in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. The video shows the man arriving at a government ration shop in a Mercedes to pick up the ration. The ration is available at these shops for below poverty line (BPL) category people who can’t afford to buy it from a grocery store. He was spotted loading sacks of pulses and rice in the boot of his car. At these ration shops, the grocery costs 2 per kg.
The media became interested in the video after it became popular on Twitter. The owner of the ration shop, Mr. Kumar, was questioned by the media about providing supplies to a man who drives a Benz. The ration shop employee responded to the inquiries by stating that the customer had a BPL card. He is simply carrying out the government’s directives.
Ramesh Saini, the driver of the Benz that arrived at the ration store, was questioned on the matter. Ramesh Saini responded to the media by saying, “The car doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to my neighbours who have relocated to America. In accordance with their request, I will start the car and make a short trip every 15 days merely to keep the diesel vehicle in operable condition. When I went outside to start the car that day, I also noticed my kids collecting wheat at the store, so I just went over and got them and some other things.
He also added that “I have a small photography shop in a rented building. My children also study in a government school. I don’t have enough money to send them to a private school. “People filmed this video to defame me and my family.”
The Punjab food supplies department responded to this viral video and stated that they would verify the issue.
