New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS): Hitting out at the AAP government over its new announcement of giving financial assistance to women, Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva said on Thursday that before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal collected forms from women in the national capital and promised a grant of Rs 1,000 but no funds have been distributed till now.
Sachdeva asked why the AAP government in Punjab, which promised Mahila Samman Rashi before the Assembly elections, had failed to deliver even after being in power for two years.
The State BJP Chief accused Kejriwal of repeating the same misleading tactics with yet another election approaching, calling it a ploy to mislead women with false assurances.
Sachdeva questioned why the former Delhi Chief Minister delayed Cabinet approval for 10 months after initially announcing the grant for women in February this year.
Highlighting the BJP's achievements, the State BJP Chief emphasised that the public trusts only Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantees.
"We have successfully implemented the Women's Honour Grant in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Haryana, even starting disbursements in Maharashtra before elections," he said.
Sachdeva also accused Kejriwal of being a "mastermind" in corruption, alleging that he prioritises building lavish residences and increasing electricity bills while neglecting infrastructure and public services like roads, sewage systems, and clean drinking water.
He claimed that Kejriwal would likely blame Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena for delays in disbursing funds to women, just as he did over the issue of delayed reengagement of bus Marshals.
Sachdeva alleged that Kejriwal intentionally creates legal hurdles to play the blame game and avoid accountability.
On the health insurance scheme, the State BJP Chief said that the "anti-public" face of Kejriwal and Chief Minister Atishi was exposed yet again when the Delhi government failed to file a response in court regarding the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
He added that BJP MPs had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi.
During the previous court hearing, the bench had given the Delhi government a second chance to present its stance but the Delhi government failed to file a response yet again.
Sachdeva also met Municipal Corporation of Delhi Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to discuss and support Laghu Udyog Bharati's demand to abolish the requirement of factory licenses for industries operating in various industrial areas of Delhi.
During the discussion, the Delhi BJP Chief emphasised that Section 416 of the Municipal Corporation Act has become redundant.
He said that this section was introduced when Delhi did not have government-regulated industrial areas.
However, today Delhi boasts of government-developed industrial zones as well as private authorised and approved industrial areas.