Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari helps in preparing khichdi during the Bhim Mahasangram rally. (Express photo: Prem Nath Pandey)The Delhi BJP Sunday organised a khichdi feast at the Ramlila Maidan, where 5,000 kg of “samrasta khichdi” was cooked and served as part of its Bhim Mahasangam programme. The event was organised by the Delhi BJP unit’s Anusuchit Jati (Scheduled Caste) wing to connect with Dalits ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. There are around 1.4 crore voters in Delhi, of which around 15% are Dalits.
Party leaders said they will also place a bid to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for cooking the maximum amount of khichdi at a place.
Delhi BJP supporters eating khichdi. (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)“BJP workers collected 400 kg rice, 100 kg lentils, 350 kg vegetables, 100 kg desi ghee, 100 litres of oil, 2,500 litres of water and 250 kg spices from three lakh Dalit households across Delhi with an aim to set a world record,” said Mohan Lal Gihara, president of BJP’s Anusuchit Jati Morcha.
Chef Vishnu Manohar from Nagpur, who had earlier attempted a world record by preparing 3,000 kg of khichdi in Nagpur, prepared the khichdi which was later served to around 25,000 people — mostly Delhi BJP volunteers.
“Representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records were at the event,” he claimed. The Delhi BJP’s Dalit face, Northwest Delhi MP Udit Raj, arrived well after the event started.
Raj, who was earlier reported to be unhappy with the event, said: “The event is good for social harmony. But to get electoral gains, you need to give them a bigger share in every field.”
Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari said the event was a harmony-building exercise rather than a political event. “Collecting the dal and rice for the event from households would have been impossible if the people were unhappy with us. This
khichdi carries the message that Narendra Modi will again become Prime Minister,” he said.
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari serves khichdi to supporters during the Bhim Mahasangram rally. (Express photo: Prem Nath Pandey)Tiwari also took a dig at the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party: “Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi, are you upset about the event? We had even invited every political party to be a part of the event.”
Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot said, “The Bhim Mahasangam is a unique programme held in the memory of great patriot Babasaheb Ambedkar, who sacrificed his life for creating an atmosphere of harmony and equality. He was a highly educated person and could have lived in rich countries like America or Britain. He could have led a happy life even in India, but he worked hard to eliminate disparity and injustice from society.”
