Kejriwal Slams "Restrictive" Delhi Lakshmi Yojana Rules!
Kejriwal Slams "Restrictive" Delhi Lakshmi Yojana Rules!
Arvind Kejriwal blasts Delhi's Lakshmi Yojana, alleging "restrictive" eligibility rules are a political tactic to limit aid and benefit only BJP supporters.
A political storm is brewing in Delhi over the newly launched Lakshmi Yojana, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal strongly criticizing its eligibility criteria. Kejriwal has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of imposing "restrictive" rules that he believes will severely limit the number of women who can actually benefit from the scheme's ₹2,500 monthly assistance.
According to Kejriwal, the current conditions, including a mandatory 10-year residency, an endorsement letter from an MLA or MP, and limiting the benefit to just one woman per family, are designed to ensure "not even 10% of Delhi’s women" will be able to access the aid. He lambasted the BJP, stating, "It is clear that they want to extend this benefit only to BJP supporters. The conditions they have imposed... show that their intention is not to provide the benefit but merely to play politics." Registrations for the scheme were opened on August 1 by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Kejriwal drew a sharp contrast with the AAP government's approach in Punjab, where he claimed no such restrictive conditions are in place. He highlighted that in Punjab, if a household has four eligible women, all four receive assistance, without distinction based on wealth or caste. He urged the Delhi government to adopt a similar "clear and honest intent" if their goal was genuine empowerment.
The criticism isn't limited to the AAP. Anurag Saxena, Delhi secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), echoed Kejriwal's sentiments. Saxena labeled the scheme a "political deception" rather than a true economic empowerment initiative for women. He pointed out that the stringent eligibility conditions and documentation requirements, particularly the need for a recommendation from a local MP or MLA, clearly indicate an intent to restrict access to benefits for a large section of poor women.
