BJP MLA collects money for distributing textbooks to children

ALLAHABAD: On July 22, a BJP MLAcollected nearly Rs.12,000 from Shankargarh in the name of distributing freebooks to students of government schools up to class VIII. The next day, hecollected Rs. 19,000 from Jari area for the same purpose. He neither gave anyreceipt for the money nor maintained any record. The BJP MLA from Bara Assemblyseat has embarked on a collecting spree to provide free text books to students,especially dalits and girls upto VIII standard. He is none other than Udai BhanKarvaria, notorious for muscle and money power in thedistrict.“Sarkar bhikhari ho gai hai. Paisa nahi hai garib bachchoko muft mein kitab batne ko,� (the government is impoverished. It does nothave the money to distribute free books to poor school going children). The MLAparrots these lines wherever he goes with hundreds of supporters in tow. He ispleased with the repsonse of the people, who donate either out of compulsion orown their own.So far, he has been able to collect nearly Rs.35,000.“I have come to beg for the children of this area. Donate freely,�he exhorts the public.However, some in his constituency have termed it apolitical gimmick. The amount is not enough to buy books for pupils of even asingle school, they point out. Kavaria, contacted after a long pursuit, seems toagree.He offers a convoluted logic for collecting money, viz the failureof the state govenment to provide funds for the purpose. He is opposedMaya’s move to provide free books to dalits and girls. “I am againstcaste politics.�Kavaria insisted that he would continue with hisone-point goal until the first week of August. However, he is yet to finalisethe date of book distribution. He plans to do so on the same day as the stategovernment does.Meanwhile, the All India Kisan Mazdoor Samaj stronglycondemned the gimmickry being resorted to by the BJP MLA.