NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party have clashed, exchanging accusations over the implementation of welfare schemes in Delhi, as elections approach.
The war of words began after the Lt. Governor ordered an investigation into the AAP’s initiative to enroll women in the Mahila Samman Yojana and senior citizens for the Sanjeevani scheme.
Attacking former Delhi CM for misleading 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 to whom Kejriwal has not deceived)”.
Puri said the Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani scheme lacks adequate budgetary provisions and cabinet approval.
Mahila Samman Yojana, which aims to provide Rs 2,100 a month to women in Delhi, was especially criticized. The minister questioned the sincerity behind these plans, arguing that announcing such initiatives without adequate financial support or a clear implementation plan amounts to a betrayal of the people.
“Schemes can be created, but there has to be budgetary provisions for it. The plan also has to be carried forward. The promises made to women in Punjab were not fulfilled and another plan was come up to provide Rs 2,100 to women in Delhi. ” Did your cabinet approve the plan? Did they make the budget?
Earlier, Kejriwal had accused the BJP of blocking these schemes saying they “want to deprive them of all free schemes”.
“If you choose the BJP, you will have to leave Delhi. You won’t be able to survive in this city. The BJP does not want to give anything to the people of Delhi; “They want to deprive you of all the free plans,” he had said.
LG Saxena ordered an investigation into allegations that private individuals were collecting personal data of women for the proposed AAP scheme in the city.
According to a senior official, the Delhi Police has formed several teams to investigate camps that are allegedly collecting personal information of 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 rise in the number of female voters.