New Delhi

Delhi's newly appointed Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was approached by her predecessor and AAP leader Atishi on Saturday, requesting a meeting to discuss the early implementation of a Rs 2,500 monthly financial assistance scheme for women, a promise made by the BJP during their Assembly election campaign.

In her letter, Atishi stated, "The first Cabinet meeting of the AAP government was held on February 20, but the Rs 2,500 per month scheme for women was not passed. The mothers and sisters of Delhi had believed in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee, and now they feel cheated."

Atishi's letter, likely part of her party's pressure tactics, comes after CM Gupta, within a day of taking office on February 20, announced that she had already started discussions on the details of the scheme, aiming to ensure that the funds would reach women's bank accounts by March 8, International Women's Day.

Atishi further wrote in her letter, "The Aam Aadmi Party's legislature party wants to meet you and discuss this issue tomorrow, on February 23." She requested CM Gupta to confirm the meeting and wrote, "I humbly request you, on behalf of lakhs of women in Delhi, to take some time out of your busy schedule and give us an opportunity to meet, so we can present our perspective and seek concrete action on this scheme."

Atishi justified the need for a meeting by reminding CM Gupta of PM Modi's promise to the women of Delhi during a BJP rally in Dwarka on January 31, 2025. The PM had pledged that after the formation of a BJP government, the Rs 2,500 per month scheme would be passed in the first Cabinet meeting.

Earlier, Delhi’s Home and Power Minister Ashish Sood responded to AAP's claims that the BJP government was delaying the implementation of the Rs 2,500 scheme. "Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is working diligently on the issue, and you will hear about the progress soon," Sood told IANS.

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“The BJP does not make false promises like the AAP. The formalities of the scheme are being discussed by the CM,” he added.

In her first Cabinet meeting, CM Gupta also approved a 100-day plan, decided to clean the Yamuna and develop the riverfront, approved the tabling of pending CAG reports in the Assembly, and gave the green light for the introduction of the Central government-funded Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), which provides health cover to each family.