Chandigarh Vendor Praised By PM Modi Offers Free 'Chhole Bhature' To People Taking Booster Shots

Sanjay Rana began giving away free 'Chhole Bhature' last year after his daughter and niece gave him the idea. He is doing the same again after he noticed sluggish uptake of the third shot.

New Delhi: Chandigarh vendor Sanjay Rana, who was praised by PM Narendra Modi last year, is giving away free 'Chhole Bhature' to people who take the third precautionary Covid-19 vaccine dose. The 45-year-old vendor said that many who are eligible to take the third dose are not coming forward to take the vaccine, PTI reported. 

The vendor did the same last year when he offered 'Chhole Bhature' after people showed their vaccine cards on the same day. His efforts to encourage people to take the vaccine shots had drawn praise from Prime Minister Modi in his monthly "Mann Ki Baat" radio broadcast.

Rana runs a food stall and sells 'Chhole Bhature' on a bicycle. He says he has been running this stall for the past over 15 years, his daughter Riddhima and niece Riya gave him the idea to give away free 'Chhole Bhature' from his stall. 

Rana who has taken his third dose expressed his concern over the slow turnout of people for the booster jab. He told PTI,  "I am giving the Chhole Bhature free to those who show the proof for the precaution dose on the same day".

"All eligible should come forward and not hesitate. Already, we are seeing a slight rise in infections in many parts of the country. Why should we wait till the situation goes out of hand? Lessons should be learnt from the kind of situation which prevailed in April-May 2021," Rana was quoted by PTI.

"As a child, I had a great desire to serve the country and join the armed forces. But destiny had something else in store for me. But now I want to do my bit in some other way, this gives me great satisfaction," Rana further said. 

Rana, who hails from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, says his wife is a homemaker and they have a daughter.

"It was a great honour for me when the Prime Minister mentioned my name in his Mann Ki Baat," he said.

Rana said he studied till Class 10 and when his father passed away, the family's responsibilities fell on his shoulders as he had to take care of three sisters and two brothers.

"Several years ago, I also worked in a private company here," recalls Rana whose dream is that his daughter gets a good education.