The political battle over Delhi's announced ‘Mahila Samridhi Yojana’ (Women's Prosperity Scheme), aimed at providing financial assistance to women, has intensified. Atishi, a former minister in the Delhi government and a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
New Delhi: The political battle over Delhi's announced ‘Mahila Samridhi Yojana’ (Women's Prosperity Scheme), aimed at providing financial assistance to women, has intensified. Atishi, a former minister in the Delhi government and a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She stated that while a promise of ₹2500 to Delhi women on March 8th was made, the subsequent announcement only revealed a four-member committee responsible for its implementation. The Congress party also criticized the scheme, calling it a sham and stating that it would only benefit a handful of women.
Atishi's Comment: "Much Ado About Nothing"
Addressing a press conference, Atishi accused the BJP government of breaking its promise, stating, "Delhi women were promised ₹2500 today, but what did they receive? Just a committee! This proves to be another BJP gimmick. Modi ji's guarantee has turned out to be another lie." She argued that the committee formed by the Delhi government is merely for show and will yield no concrete results. She questioned why the terms and conditions were not disclosed during the election campaign when the promise was made.
AAP Accuses BJP of "Image Management"
Priyanka Kakkar, an AAP spokesperson, also criticized the BJP, stating that the scheme was a mere publicity stunt and that excuses are now being made when it comes to disbursing the funds. "The BJP government made the announcement but hasn't provided a clear date for when the money will be credited to women's accounts. The government is continuously spreading confusion," she added.
Congress Calls the Scheme a Sham
Congress leader Abhishek Dutt also targeted the BJP government over the scheme. He said that while the ‘Mahila Samridhi Yojana’ was announced with a budget of ₹5100 crore, distributing this amount over 12 months would barely benefit 200-300 women per assembly constituency.
"Prime Minister Modi had said that all women in Delhi would receive ₹2500, but now, looking at the figures, it is clear that only 17,000 women will benefit from this scheme. This is a betrayal of Delhi's women," he stated.
Questions on the Scheme's Reality
A significant gap exists between the government's announcement and the ground reality. While financial assistance was promised to women, a long list of conditions has emerged. The general public and opposition parties claim that, like many other schemes, this one will also remain an election stunt. It remains to be seen whether the government will implement this scheme effectively or if this promise too will remain unfulfilled.
