Bengaluru, Oct. 11 -- The BJP has criticised Karnataka's Congress government over its decision to replace the state's 5-kg rice allocation under the Anna Bhagya scheme with an "Indira Food Kit" for below poverty line (BPL) households, calling it a collapse of the promised rice distribution.

In a post on X, the party said, "The 5 kg rice being provided by PM Narendra Modi is the only sure thing for Kannadigas, while the 10 kg rice promised by Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar has made its way to a land of no return!"

The Congress government, which won the 2023 Assembly elections on five key guarantees including 10 kg of free rice for low-income families, defended the move, citing misuse of rice and feedback from beneficiaries. The Cabinet...