AAP MLAs allege rice scam by BJP, protest with rice bags in Delhi Assembly

AAP MLAs staged a rice-bag protest in the Delhi Assembly over alleged diversion of subsidised grain. The row has intensified after the party sought Cabinet Minister Manjinder Sirsa's resignation and he threatened defamation action.AAP MLAs protest outside rice bags at the Delhi Assembly premises on Tuesday.Aam Aadmi Party MLAs on Tuesday protested with rice bags in the Delhi Assembly premises, alleging that the BJP government sold subsidised rice meant for the city’s poor to a private company in Haryana. The protest took place on the third day of the Monsoon Session.AAP’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the government had “black-marketed” rice meant for poor people in Delhi. He also said the party’s MLAs had demanded the resignation of Food and Civil Supplies Minister Manjinder Sirsa.In a post on X, Bharadwaj said, “There have been very serious allegations against Manjinder Sirsa’s department, which recommended the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to give subsidised rice to a North-East corporation based in Assam. The subsidised rice, which was only meant to be distributed to Delhi’s poor and migrant population, was instead black-marketed to a private company in Haryana.”Earlier, Bharadwaj had said that the Rekha Gupta government and an Assam-based corporation had made a formal request to the FCI for subsidised rice to be distributed among poor and needy people in the national capital. Under the agreement, around 31,000 metric tonnes of rice per week were sought. However, he claimed that the rice did not reach the intended beneficiaries and was later sold to a private company in Haryana. In the X post, he also said, “Crores of rupees were earned as illegal commission.”On Sunday, Sirsa had threatened defamation action against Bharadwaj and other AAP leaders. He gave them 24 hours to withdraw their allegations and issue a public apology, failing which he said he would begin appropriate legal proceedings. On Tuesday, AAP MLAs sat on the floor in front of Leader of Opposition Atishi’s office, placed large sacks of rice before them, and raised slogans such as “Gareeb ka chawal kahan gaya?” (Where is the poor's rice)The protest centred on AAP’s allegation that subsidised rice meant for poor and migrant families in Delhi was diverted and sold to a private company in Haryana, while Sirsa has already warned the party’s leaders of legal action over the claims.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 11, 2026 22:22 IST