The row over rice is steaming up in Karnataka, with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announcing that the Congress party will hold protests across the state on Tuesday against the Centre restraining the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from selling rice directly to the state for its ambitious Anna Bhagya scheme.

Slamming the Centre for seeking to hurt the poor, Shivakumar said the BJP was working against everyone who had elected the Congress government. “We are trying to purchase rice from the states of Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Even if the plan to give 10 kg of rice to everyone is delayed, we will implement this Annabhagya scheme with determination,” he said.

The scheme, which is scheduled to be launched on July 1, was one of the Congress’ tall election guarantees. It promises 10 kg of rice for free to BPL and Antyodaya card holders. On June 12, the state government had reached an agreement with the FCI to get 2.28 lakh metric tons of rice at Rs 3,400 per quintal for the scheme. However, the next day, the Centre asked the FCI to sell 15 lakh metric tons of rice and wheat in the open market and stop direct sale to states, except the north east. Siddaramaiah had called the Centre “anti-poor” and “anti-Kannadiga,” alleging that this was a conspiracy to stop the Anna Bhagya program from being implemented.

Not to be outdone on the protest front, the BJP has announced that the party would launch state-wide protests if the government failed to begin the Anna Bhagya scheme on July 1 as it has promised. Former CM Basavaraj Bommai accused Siddaramaiah of politicising the issue, saying that the Centre made a nation-wide decision, and it wasn’t targeted at Karnataka. “The government should procure rice from elsewhere, or transfer money into beneficiary accounts by direct benefit transfer (DBT),” he challenged.

The Congress on twitter accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hate politics, saying the FCI sold rice to private companies for Rs 24 per kg for ethanol production, but wasn’t allowed to sell to Karnataka, even at a higher rate. “Our government is ready to pay Rs 34 per kg…it is clear that there is malicious intent behind allowing edible crops to be used for ethanol production,” the party said.