In what is being seen as a counter to the ‘Laadli Behna’ scheme of the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, the state Congress on Tuesday launched ‘Nari Samman’ (respect to women) scheme that promises Rs 1,500 monthly cash assistance and domestic gas cylinder for Rs 500 when the party comes to power in the state.
Workers of Congress and its other frontal organizations will be going home to home to get forms of the Nari Samman scheme filled up and issue receipts, and the benefits will start immediately after the Congress government is formed in the state, the party has said.
With state assembly polls only six months away, both the major parties in the state are trying their best to lure women voters who make up for about 48 per cent of total votes. The BJP government’s Laadli Behna scheme, which will provide Rs 1,000 monthly cash assistance to married women of economically weaker section from June, is being seen as a game changer on the lines of the Laadli Laxmi scheme for girls.
Though the Congress is trashing ‘copycat’ allegations that the party had already promised similar cash assistance to women ahead of the Himachal Pradesh polls, well before the Laadli Behna scheme of Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in MP, it is widely perceived that the Congress is looking to nullify the likely impact of the BJP scheme through its own scheme for women.
Nath highlighted that while BJP government has promised to pay Rs 12,000 per year to women, Congress when in power, will be providing a benefit of Rs 25,000 per year in the form of Rs 1,500 monthly cash assistance and Rs 600 subsidy per cylinder that will add up to Rs 7,200 for 12 cylinders in a year.
The scheme was formally launched by MP Congress chief Kamal Nath at Parasia in Chhindwara district, following which other senior leaders launched the scheme across the state, with former CM Digvijaya Singh launching it at Barkhera in Bhopal.
Speaking at the Parasia launch programme, Kamal Nath launched scathing attack on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan calling him a machine of lies and announcements, and a minister for groundbreaking and foundation stone laying ceremonies rather than a CM.
Nath said that through the Laadli Behna scheme, Chouhan was trying to wash off his sins of 18 years of corruption and price rise. “Chouhan is remembering the sisters after 18 years, just a few months ahead of the elections,” Nath said. He added that during his long tenure, Chouhan has only given price rise, corruption, liquor at doorstep, rapes and atrocities against tribals.
He also said that whenever questions are raised on the BJP government, it asks what the Congress gave in 70 years. “Modi ji (PM Narendra Modi), if you have gone to school, that school was made by the Congress and Shivraj ji, if you have gone to college, that college was made by Congress.”
He urged the women to get more active in the matters of the country and become the protectors of the culture and constitution of the country. “Along with homes, they should also think of what form of country do we want to leave for the future generations,” Nath said.
Former women ministers of BJP attack Congress
The Madhya Pradesh BJP brought forth three former women and child development ministers to attack the Congress concept of ‘Nari Samman’. Interestingly, among them was Imarti Devi, who was WCD minister in the Kamal Nath-led Congress government but defected to BJP in March 2020.
Addressing a press conference, Devi said, “Kamal Nath ji should answer to the women of the state before making hollow claims about women's respect. Why did he stop the women-friendly schemes of the BJP government? Women's respect cannot be expected from those who use uncouth words against women.
Another former minister Ranjana Baghel said, “Congress had made many attractive promises to the women of the state, but as soon as they came to power, they turned away from their promises. There is no doubt that Congress has now become a symbol of deceit, fraud and forgery.”
Ex-WCD minister Archana Chitnis said, “Congress has once again started a big hoax in the name of respect for women. Similarly, five years ago, farmers were cheated to grab power. Congress's method of cheating is new, but the way of deceiving the people of the state is the same. Congress leaders constantly insult women by using foul words against them. Now they are engaging in hypocrisy of women's respect."
Meanwhile, in a joint press conference, MP Women’s Congress chief Vibha Patel and senior leaders Suresh Pachouri and Deepak Joshi highlighted the failures of the Chouhan-led BJP government in the state vis-a-vis women’s issues. They also highlighted the numerous conditions put in the Laadli Behna scheme, which they said would lead to only a few women benefitting from it.