The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs led by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Atishi staged a protest outside the office of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in the assembly's premises on Monday, demanding the fulfilment of the BJP's promise to provide `2,500 to women in the city after the first Cabinet meeting. During the protest, AAP MLAs raised slogans and waving posters that "When will women get `2500?". Atishi also met Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to discuss the issue but received no assurance from her.
"We asked for time from the Delhi Chief Minister two days ago. But we were not given time, so we are here outside her office in the assembly. We want to meet her regarding the promise of PM Modi to provide `2,500 to women after the first Cabinet," Atishi said after meeting Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Atishi stated that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had guaranteed in their first cabinet meeting that a scheme providing `2500 per month to women would be passed. "However, despite the BJP government's first cabinet meeting taking place on February 20, the scheme was not approved. Modi's guarantee is proving wrong. BJP has already broken Modi Ji's first promise, but we hope that they will at least fulfill his second guarantee by depositing `2500 into women's accounts by March 8," she said.
Atishi further said that the chief minister had not given them any assurance but mentioned that she was trying her best to fulfil the promise by March 8. The protest took place as the first session of the newly constituted Delhi Assembly commenced on Monday, marking the BJP's return to power after 26 years.
Responding to a media query, Atishi said, "Even before the BJP government's swearing-in ceremony, I had predicted that they would come up with excuses for not fulfilling their promises. When Arvind Kejriwal first became Delhi's CM, the city's budget was `30,000 Crore, yet he ran a surplus government while providing free electricity, water, quality schools, hospitals, free bus travel, and pilgrimage schemes. After 10 years of governance, we are leaving BJP with a Rs 77,000 Crore budget, yet they claim the treasury is empty. It is clear that the problem is not a lack of funds-it is their unwillingness to give Rs 2500 to women."
