Adimali: Mariyakutty, an 89-year-old woman has alleged that she was denied ration supplies because of her political affiliation with the BJP. Mariyakutty, who previously drew attention after protesting on the streets with a begging bowl for not receiving her pension, claimed a ration shop owner near her house deliberately discriminated against her.

“When I went to collect my ration, the shop owner intentionally delayed the process. When I questioned him, he told me there’s a BJP supporter’s ration shop in Ayiramekkar and that I should go there if I wanted ration items,” she said. She further alleged that the owner taunted her, saying, “Congress built you a house and yet you betrayed them,” along with other insults.

The shop owner, however, rejected the claims, attributing the issue to a server malfunction. “Without completing biometric verification on the server, ration distribution isn’t possible. I tried to explain this, but she refused to listen. Many present at the shop witnessed this. She misunderstood the situation and reacted angrily,” he clarified. Authorities have not yet intervened, but the allegations have sparked local debate on political bias in welfare distribution.