All BJP promises have unravelled into a web of exclusions and betrayal, says senior party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj
NEW DELHI – Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee of ₹2,500 per month for women in Delhi has also turned out to be a mere “jumla” (bogus promise), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said. It also blasted the Delhi government for not fulfilling its promise to Delhi voters, questioning the whereabouts of the “Modi ki Guarantee.”
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here on Wednesday, AAP’s Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Union government, calling it out for betraying the women of Delhi. “Before the formation of the BJP’s government, Narendra Modi himself made a promise to the women of Delhi that every woman would receive ₹2,500 per month. He called it ‘Modi ki Guarantee’. This so-called guarantee was repeatedly echoed by BJP president JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah and many other senior BJP leaders,” he added.
Highlighting BJP’s pre-poll promises, he said: “They clearly said that the first Cabinet meeting of the new BJP government in Delhi would pass this proposal, and from 8th March onwards, women would start receiving the financial assistance. This was stated directly by the prime minister.”
But, Modi’s promise has unravelled into a web of exclusions and betrayal, Bharadwaj said.
“The scheme now limits benefits to just one woman per family, excludes women aged 18–21, bars those without ration cards, and even disqualifies mothers whose children are not vaccinated—proving that the BJP has deceived Delhi’s women to win votes.”
But now, Bharadwaj said, reports tell a completely different story. “Modi ki Guarantee has turned out to be a bundle of lies with some shocking changes: First, the money won’t be given to women above 18 years of age as promised, but only to those above 21. What harm have 18 to 21-year-old women done to you? You took their votes, but now say they’re not eligible for the money?”
He pointed out another caveat being added to the scheme: “They’re saying the benefit will be restricted to those who have a BPL or ration card. If that’s the case, then lakhs of our sisters from Purvanchal living in Delhi are automatically excluded. Around 80% of them don’t have BPL or ration cards, because getting them has been practically impossible for decades. So, you’ve just written off an entire community of women with one stroke.”
Bharadwaj also revealed another term, stating, “What’s even more outrageous is that now they’re saying even the ₹2,500 won’t be given in full. A part of it will be withheld and ‘saved’ for the woman. They say they’ll give it when the woman needs it. Why?”
“If that’s the logic, then why not do the same for ministers? Hold back their salaries too and give them only when they need it. Same for IAS officers—why not give them half their pay only when necessary? You take all your money on time but do not want to give the full amount to the poor because they can spend it unwisely; what kind of policy is this?” Bharadwaj asked.
“This BJP government in Delhi was founded on a bed of lies. From the top leadership, including PM Narendra Modi, down to the lowest ranks, every BJP leader has deceived the people of Delhi, especially its women, just to win the election. The very foundation of this government was laid by distributing liquor, cash, clothes, gold chains, and even shoes and slippers. It is perhaps the first government in the country that has lost public trust so quickly after coming to power,” the senior AAP leader claimed.
