Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 17: The BJP on Friday released its first of the three-part manifesto for the Delhi Assembly elections announcing a number of financial aids for women and senior citizens and instantly met with severe criticism from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) whose similar schemes were earlier shot down by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “freebies” and unhealthy for the country’s economic health.
The BJP, however, hit back claiming what it was promising in its manifesto were not “revdi” (freebies) but “empowerment” of women but understanding the difference between freebies and development was beyond the capacity of the AAP supremo and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
To the BJP’s promise that the party if voted to power would continue the current welfare schemes being implemented by the AAP government, Mr Kejriwal wondered why should anyone vote for the BJP when the party was indirectly endorsing what was being done by the AAP government was good enough to be continued.
The BJP chief and Union Minister JP Nadda today released the party’s first of the three-part ‘Sankalp Patra’, which he said has women’s welfare as its central theme. The party, which aims to dethrone AAP in Delhi after a decade, has promised financial assistance to women, young mothers, and senior citizens, besides subsidies on cylinders and more.
Taking a dig at the BJP’s manifesto, Mr Kejriwal sought to know if the promises had a go-ahead from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had on several instances targeted the AAP over freebies and called for ending the “revdi culture.” “Was permission taken from PM Modi before announcing free revdi? Our demand is that PM Modi should come forward and say that free revdi is not a loss for the country but God’s prasad, and that he was wrong and Kejriwal is right,” said Mr Kejriwal.
Referring to Mr Nadda’s remark that the BJP will carry forward the existing welfare schemes if it comes to power, Mr Kejriwal asked why the people should vote for them. “The BJP has openly accepted that Kejriwal is running many welfare schemes in Delhi which are benefiting the families of BJP members also. We don’t know how to do politics, we know how to work. And we do such work that even our opponents praise it,” he said in an online post.
“BJP does not have a “Sankalp Patra” but a “Kejriwal Patra” that they will continue all the schemes of Kejriwal in Delhi. BJP says – “Vote for BJP to do all the work that Kejriwal does.” All the work done by Kejriwal will be done better by Kejriwal himself, then why should anyone vote for BJP?” he added in another post.
He also referred to “gang wars” in Delhi and said the BJP did not care to add even a single line to the manifesto on improving the law-and-order situation. Accusing the BJP of having no vision for Delhi, he said the party never fulfils its promises. “Tell us what work the BJP has done in the last 10 years? Their ‘Sankalp Patra’ is false,” asserted the AAP supremo.
Hitting back, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the AAP chief did not understand the difference between handing out freebies and empowerment. “Arvind babu, when you make promises, it seems you are handing out promises. When we talk about it, we talk about all-round development and empowerment. But you won’t understand it,” he said.
Releasing the manifesto, Mr Nadda had accused the AAP of corruption and said it neither fulfilled its promises in Delhi, nor in Punjab. He also called the AAP government’s flagship Mohalla Clinics “den of corruption”, vowing to probe the matter if his party comes to power.
BJP president JP Nadda released the party’s election manifesto for the Delhi election on Friday, promising ₹2,500 monthly aid for women, LPG cylinders at ₹500 and ₹2,500 pension for senior citizens. He also assured all existing public welfare schemes in Delhi will continue if the BJP is voted to power.
Mr Nadda said the BJP manifesto was the foundation for a developed Delhi. Hitting out at the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, he said all corruption charges in the existing public welfare schemes would be investigated. He promised that a BJP-led Delhi government would approve implementation of the ‘Ayushman Bharat ‘ in the city in its first Cabinet meeting, and also give additional health cover of ₹5 lakh. “The BJP will give LPG cylinders at ₹500 to women from poor sections. One free cylinder will be given each on Holi and Diwali,” he said. Rs 2,500 to women of Delhi under Mahila Samridhi Yojana.
The key promises included:
- Rs 500 cylinder subsidy for poor women in Delhi
- 1 free cylinder on every Holi and Diwali
- 6 nutritional kits for women, Rs 21,000 will be given to pregnant mothers
- Implementation of Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana in the first cabinet, additional health cover of Rs 5,00,000 to people of Delhi
- Pension for senior citizens between 60 and 70 to be increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500
- Pension for senior citizens above 70 years of age, widows, and specially-abled people will be increased from the current Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000
- Will launch Atal Canteen Yojana — Meal in Rs 5 for people living in slums (jhuggi jhopdi) and clusters.
