Union Minister Bhagirath Choudhary Refutes Subsidy Scam Allegations, Opposition Slams 'Conflict of Interest'

Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary on Saturday refuted charges of taking a subsidy of nearly Rs 1 crore from his own ministry and said that he had "hidden nothing" and had applied for the subsidy years before becoming a minister. Speaking to news agency ANI, Choudhary claimed that he has been engaged in farming since childhood and that his project was entirely transparent. "I am a farmer and have been in agriculture since my childhood days. I have not hidden anything. Thousands of farmers install polyhouses and avail themselves of subsidies, so I did too. I had applied in 2018," the Union minister of state said. "I have installed a board there and mentioned all the loans and subsidies I took. I also train farmers there in new techniques and natural farming. All local officials have visited the spot. So, what did I hide?" he added. This comes after an investigative report claimed that Choudhary received a Rs 99.03 lakh subsidy under a scheme run by his own ministry for his cucumber farming and approved by a board in which he is the ex-officio vice-president. Meanwhile, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot targeted the Centre and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the allegations, calling it a "new model of corruption" and a conflict of interest in the Modi government. "Yet another major instance of a new model of corruption and 'conflict of interest' under the Modi government has come to light, involving allegations against a Union minister and an IAS officer serving in the central government," Gehlot said. "What would you call it when a Union minister of state for agriculture himself gets a subsidy of nearly one crore rupees sanctioned for his own farm under a scheme of his own ministry? On one hand, an ordinary farmer has to run from office to office to get benefits, and on the other hand, ministers and favoured officials receive government largesse worth crores," he alleged. Gehlot questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" over the alleged scam and said, "Why is the man who coined the slogan 'Na Khaunga Na Khane Dunga' silent today on this blatant misconduct by his own ministers? The people of the country are witnessing this double standard." Congress leader Pawan Khera also accused the BJP of hypocrisy over corruption and said, "They say charity begins at home. For the BJP, subsidy begins at home." The Congress leader further alleged that while ordinary citizens are expected to survive on welfare benefits, ministers and their families are using public funds for personal gain. "Meanwhile, ministers and their kith and kin have the state treasury at their disposal—cornering subsidies, drawing benefits, and treating public funds as their father's estate," Khera added.