New Delhi, Mar 09, 2025, IANS

New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) Delhi BJP MP Yogender Chandolia on Sunday strongly criticised AAP MLA Atishi over her remarks against the BJP government for delaying the implementation of the Mahila Samridhi Yojana in the national capital. Responding to Atishi's allegations, Chandolia told IANS, "She is probably speaking for herself. She is not speaking for the BJP government because the AAP government has been in power in Punjab for almost three years. There, a promise was made to give Rs 1,000 to women, which they have not received yet. She should talk about that first." Atishi had earlier slammed the BJP-led Delhi government for failing to fulfil its promise of depositing Rs 2,500 in the accounts of eligible women by March 8, accusing the party of misleading voters with "lies" and "fraud." Her criticism came a day after Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta approved the scheme in a Cabinet meeting, calling it "Modi ki Guarantee." The scheme aims to provide Rs 2,500 in monthly financial aid to eligible women, particularly those from families with an annual income of up to Rs 3 lakh, with a special focus on Below Poverty Line (BPL) sections. Chandolia defended the BJP government, saying, "The Prime Minister had pledged that we will give Rs 2,500 to poor women. The whole plan is ready for the occasion of International Women's Day. Rs 51 crore has been allocated, and the portal will be launched soon. The AAP should wait and see. Did Kejriwal implement such a scheme when he was Chief Minister? Did you (Atishi) do it?" He further attacked the AAP, saying, "The AAP was in power for over 10 years and did not do any work for women, poor, youth, or children. They only engage in politics of allegations and counter-allegations. There is nothing left for them except this." Under the Mahila Samridhi Yojana, beneficiaries must be residents of Delhi for the past five years and have a bank account linked to their Aadhaar number. The registration process for beneficiaries will take place online, with a multi-level verification system in place to prevent fraudulent claims, similar to the Union government's Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) model. Despite BJP's assurances, Atishi maintained that no money had been credited to beneficiaries' accounts by the promised deadline of March 8, nor had any registration process begun.