 Summary of this article
- A viral video showed children in a Sheopur school eating mid-day meals on newspaper, leading to public and political backlash.
- Rahul Gandhi criticised the BJP government, saying the incident exposed failures in basic welfare and dignity for children.
- Officials later visited the school, issued suspensions, cancelled a food contract, and provided steel plates to prevent repeat incidents.
A primary school in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, has received stainless-steel plates after a video went viral showing pupils eating their mid-day meal off newspaper, prompting widespread criticism, including from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi accused the BJP government of failing the state’s children, saying that after more than 20 years in power it had “even taken away their plates”, and that its claims of development were an “illusion”. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav “should be ashamed” of the incident.
The episode occurred on November 3 at a government primary school in Hullpur village, Vijaypur block. The footage, which showed children sitting on the floor and eating food placed on scraps of paper, led to the suspension of school in-charge Bhogiram Dhakad and the cancellation of the mid-day meal contract given to a local self-help group. The meals are provided under the national PM Poshan scheme. |
