'Another gimmick': Atishi jabs Delhi govt over free LPG cylinder on Holi promise; BJP hits back

The AAP on Tuesday questioned the BJP government in Delhi over its promise to provide free cooking gas cylinders to women on the occasion of Holi. Addressing a press conference, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi chief minister Atishi said that women in the national capital are waiting for the BJP to fulfil its pre-poll promise.

"I want to ask the BJP government and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta if they will fulfil their poll promise of providing free cooking gas cylinders to women in Delhi on Holi, or will it prove to be another gimmick like providing monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 to women," Atishi said.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that unlike the AAP that made only announcements, the BJP does not make promises without proper financial planning.


"Soon, the BJP government will provide free LPG cylinders to needy women on priority during Holi and Diwal," he asserted.

The BJP in its manifesto for the February 5 Delhi Assembly polls promised to provide cooking gas cylinders to women from economically weaker sections for Rs 500 along with two refills free of charge on Holi and Diwali.

The BJP government has approved a Mahila Samriddhi Yojana for providing Rs 2,500 monthly assistance to women from poor families in Delhi and sanctioned Rs 5,100 crore for the scheme.

Registration for the scheme is yet to commence.

The AAP has been attacking the BJP, claiming it did not fulfil its poll promise of crediting Rs 2,500 into the bank accounts of women in Delhi on March 8, the International Women's Day.

Sachdeva said that it seems AAP leaders, troubled by the daily exposure of their 10-year government's "corruption", believe that they can mislead the people by issuing statements about the BJP's manifesto promises.

He said as soon as the BJP government announced an allocation of Rs 5,100 crore for aid to needy women, the AAP leaders have now started making "impractical" comments on the BJP's promise of free LPG cylinders for Holi.