Former Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly sworn-in Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday, accusing the BJP of failing to deliver on its promises, particularly the Rs 2,500 financial assistance scheme for women.
“If Modi ji’s guarantee had been genuine, the women’s financial assistance scheme would have been passed in the first cabinet meeting,” Atishi stated. “However, on her first day as Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta exposed Modi ji’s false promises and proved that his guarantee was nothing but a ‘Jumla.'”
She further added, “Modi ji repeatedly assured on various platforms that Rs 2,500 would be provided to women, and even BJP President JP Nadda claimed in a press conference that the scheme would be approved in the first cabinet meeting. Yet, nothing has materialized.”
Atishi also pointed out Modi’s promise that the Rs 2,500 amount would be transferred to women’s bank accounts by March 8. She then questioned Rekha Gupta, “Will she once again prove Modi ji’s guarantee to be false by March 8?”
Her comments come amid mounting opposition criticism of the BJP-led Delhi government’s delay in implementing important welfare schemes.
Atishi also addressed her role in the tabling of the CAG report in the Delhi Assembly, clarifying that it was part of a routine process. “I was the one who sent the CAG reports to the then Speaker Ram Niwas Goel when I was the Chief Minister. This is a standard procedure—whenever the CAG reports are received, they are tabled in the next Assembly session,” she explained.
Earlier, Rekha Gupta, who assumed office as Delhi Chief Minister on Thursday, chaired her first cabinet meeting and made two significant announcements. She confirmed the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme with an additional Rs 5 lakh coverage and the tabling of 14 pending CAG reports in the upcoming Assembly session.
During her press conference, Gupta also revealed the portfolios of her council of ministers and reiterated the BJP’s commitment to fulfilling pre-election promises, including the rollout of Ayushman Bharat in the national capital. She criticized the AAP government for not implementing the scheme earlier.