NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party have locked horns trading accusations on each other over the implementation of welfare schemes in Delhi, as the elections approach.
The war of words began after Lieutenant Governor’s order for an inquiry into AAP’s initiative to enroll women for the Mahila Samman Yojana and senior citizens for the Sanjeevani scheme.
Attacking the former Delhi CM of deceiving people in the name of welfare schemes, BJP leader and Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said “aisa koi saga nahi jise Kejriwal ne thaga nahi (there is no one whom Kejriwal has not deceived).”
Puri said that the Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani scheme lack adequate budgetary provisions and cabinet approval.
The Mahila Samman Yojana, which aims to provide Rs 2,100 per month to women in Delhi, was particularly criticized. The minister questioned the sincerity behind these schemes, arguing that announcing such initiatives without proper financial support or a clear implementation plan amounts to a betrayal of the people.
“You can make schemes but there have to be budgetary provisions for it. The scheme has to be taken forward as well. The promises made to women in Punjab weren’t fulfilled and he came up with another scheme of providing Rs 2,100 to women in Delhi. Did their cabinet approve the scheme? Did they conduct the budgeting?” said Puri.
Earlier, Kejriwal had accused the BJP of blocking these schemes saying that “they want to deprive you of all free schemes.”
“If you elect BJP, you will have to leave Delhi. You won’t be able to survive in this city. BJP does not want to give anything to the people of Delhi; they want to deprive you of all free schemes,” he had said.
LG Saxena ordered an investigation into claims that private individuals were gathering women’s personal data for the proposed AAP scheme in the city.
According to a senior official, the Delhi Police has formed multiple teams to probe into camps reportedly collecting personal information from women under the guise of the AAP government’s “Mahila Samman Yojna.”
In the recently concluded Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections, women centric schemes proved to be a game-changer with both states witnessing a surge in women voters.
