BJP leader Rathod arrested for stealing rice stored for Anna Bhagya scheme

BJP leader Manikanth Rathod was arrested by Shahapur police in Yadgir district for allegedly stealing rice stored for the Anna Bhagya scheme at the Shahapur APMC yard. He was arrested at his flat in Kalaburagi City on Tuesday. Manikanth has been arrested for the theft of 6,077 quintals of rice, worth Rs 2.6 crore, from the govt’s warehouse in the Shahapur taluk of Yadgir district, said Shahapur CPI SM Patil. He has been arrested for failing to appear before police after he was summoned in the same case. Manikanth had contested the 2023 assembly election on the BJP ticket against AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge’s son Priyank Kharge. The Anna Bhagya scheme, which was meant for economically weaker sections, provides 10 kg of rice every month. 

This article has been republished from The Times of India.