In the sweltering April heat of Begusarai, Surendra Mehta, the BJP MLA from Bachhwara and the Bihar Sports Minister, gave out blankets to a gathering. Videos and pictures from the 45th Foundation Day celebration of the Bharatiya Janata Party on April 6th indicate that more than 700 individuals attended.

The blanket distribution event was held in the Mansurchak block’s Ahiyaapur hamlet. As the ceremony commemorated the BJP’s founding day, Surendra Mehta gave blankets to the locals in an ironic move against the sweltering 40 degree heat.

“On the 45th foundation day of the world’s largest party committed to the upliftment of the poor and nation-building, we honoured people in Ahiyaapur by offering ang vastra,” Mehta wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post after the event, which included pictures from the ceremony. Jai Bharat Mata, Jai BJP.

Social media users questioned the timing of the distribution after images and videos from the event went viral. Notably, heatwaves have occurred in North India, despite the fact that it is technically summer.

“As soon as the Congress party launched the “Palayan roko Naukri do” campaign for the youth of Bihar, it sparked visible unease among BJP leaders in the state,” wrote Tripura Congress secretary Sanjib Bhattacharya on X, uploading the video. In the midst of the sweltering heat, Bihar Sports Minister Surendra Mehta swiftly devised a “blanket distribution” program.

When asked about the issue, the minister said that the item in question was really a thin sheet rather than a blanket, according to a report by Jagran.com.

Later this year, Bihar will have assembly elections in which the BJP, backed by the JD(U), hopes to hold onto power.