Mangaluru : The district in-charge Minister and Dakshina Kannada District Congress president B. Ramanath Rai has alleged that it was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that had put hurdles towards the enactment of Panchayat Raj Act.

Mr. Rai told presspersons here on Monday that the BJP was wary about reservations for the weaker sections of society and hence opposed the legislation. It curtailed the powers of local self governments in Karnataka when in power, the Minister alleged.

Drumming up support for candidates backed by the Congress in the upcoming elections, he claimed that the Congress recommenced issuing BPL ration cards, which had been stopped by the BJP earlier. It was also the first party to commence free distribution of rice to BPL card-holders in the country, he said. He asked whether the BJP had introduced free foodgrain distribution in the States ruled by it.