Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren joined the league of non-BJPruled state heads criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his “revdi culture” remark. Revdi is a sweet made of jaggery and sesame, and the word is sometimes used in Hindi as a metaphor for the distribution of freebies.

Addressing a rally at Latehar as part of Khatiyani Johar Yatra on Tuesday evening, Soren said: “When we try to wipe out tears of poor in a backward state like Jharkhand impacted by high inflation and unemployment, our Prime Minister criticises us for distributing revdi, while they (PM) go all out to help their business friends in undertaking one of the biggest financial scams in the country.”

“Nationalised banks do not give loans to tribals and Dalits in Jharkhand but they were influenced by those in power in the central government to give away crores of rupees in loans to the businessmen and the situation is such that after the scam was published in a report, banks are facing problems. If more such incidents happen, that day is not far when India will become another Sri Lanka. The country’s economy is bhagwan bharose (mercy of God),” said Soren.

Modi had spoken about “revdi culture” for the first time at an event in Uttar Pradesh in July last year when he accused the Opposition of promising freebies for votes.

The remark led to severe criticism from Opposition parties, who pointed to loan write-offs to corporate entities and welfare schemes run by the BJP-ruled states.

In October last year, while addressing a function in Madhya Pradesh, Modi remarked that “revdi culture” in government welfare schemes saddens the average taxpayer.

“Now that I am giving away these four lakh houses, every taxpayer in the country must be thinking that a poor brother in Madhya Pradesh will also get to celebrate Deepavali like them. But what hurts them the most is the money taken from them being used to distribute revdis,” Modi had said.

He had also said that many such taxpayers were “bracing to rid the country of revdi culture” and had written to him in this regard.

“When a taxpayer feels that the money is being spent for the right cause, they are happy and satisfied and keep on paying more taxes.” The Supreme Court is currently hearing a petition filed by BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, seeking a ban on promises of “freebies” by political parties.

Soren, who had been openly criticising banks for reluctance to give loans to tribals, said: “The state government is providing loans to poor tribals and Dalits at a low rate of interest so that they can get self-employed and if the public sector banks do not give loans, we will open more gramin banks and dole out loans for our poor.”