Reacting to the Delhi government’s approval of a ₹2,500 honorarium for women in the city, Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former Chief Minister Atishi criticized the move, calling it another jumla (empty promise) by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
She alleged that despite the promise, the money had not been credited to beneficiaries.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Atishi remarked, “The women of Delhi were waiting for a ₹2,500 message on their phones, but instead of receiving the honorarium, a committee has been formed. This is unfair to the voters.”
“The BJP government has proved that the Prime Minister lied to them. I am sure that, like this promise, all others will also turn out to be false,” she added.
The criticism came after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the cabinet’s approval of the Mahila Samridhi Yojana earlier in the day, allocating ₹5,100 crore for its implementation. The scheme aims to provide ₹2,500 per month to economically weaker women.
Quoting a Hindi idiom, the LoP said, “Khoda pahad, nikli chuhiya” (they dug a mountain, only to find a mouse).
“That is exactly what has happened today. Women were led to believe they would receive ₹2,500, but all they got was yet another committee. This is the reality of ‘Modi ki Guarantee.’”
Atishi further claimed that women had received nothing but hollow assurances—first, a committee would be formed, then a scheme would be drafted, eligibility would be decided, registration would take place, forms would be filled out, and after that, only time would tell when the money would actually arrive.
Echoing the sentiment, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said, “At a rally in Dwarka, PM Modi had assured that on March 8, half of Delhi’s population would start receiving ₹2,500. Today is that day, and PM Modi has deceived them.”
She added, “No date was given today. Earlier, it was said that women would receive ₹2,500 on March 8, but instead, only an announcement has been made. Now, new terms and conditions have been introduced—conditions that were never mentioned when votes were being sought.”