Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar targeted the Opposition MVA (Maha Vikash Aghadi) over the state government's Ladki Bahin Yojana, saying the MVA’s own alliance partners in Jharkhand copied his government's policy. His comments come after the Opposition criticised the government over the Ladki Bahin Yojana calling it a poll gimmick and questioning its financial viability.
"The MVA’s own alliance partners in Jharkhand have copied our Ladki Bahin Yojana. Maharashtra is one of India‘s number one state in economy and revenues. We can sustain the scheme. MVA should worry about Jharkhand. #MajhiLadkiBahinYojana," Pawar posted on X.
Meanwhile, more than 3 lakh women in Latur have applied for the Maharashtra government's Ladki Bahin Yojana, a district official said on Friday.
What is Maharashtra Ladki Bahin Yojana?
Under the Maharashtra Ladki Bahin Yojana, which was announced in the budget tabled in the assembly last month, women with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh will get Rs 1,500 monthly financial aid.
Meanwhile, talking on the Ladki Bahin Yojana at Sillod, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, "the opposition is sending people to court against it".
"The sisters in the state will teach a lesson to such step brothers (referring to the opposition that is targeting the scheme for its financial burden on the exchequer). Our Ladki Bahin is not a poll jumla (rhetoric)," he asserted.
The state government aims to strengthen women socially, financially, educationally and politically and people must not fall prey to the fake narrative of the opposition about the Ladki Bahin Yojana, said Shinde, who also distributed some forms of the scheme to women as part of the launch event.
"The Opposition says these schemes will remain only till elections. But we have been working on these schemes since a year when there were no elections. The schemes will run even after the elections. The opposition can see their defeat due to such schemes," the CM said.
Ridiculing the Maha Vikas Aghadi and accusing it of suffering from heartburn due to the work of his government, he sarcastically said the sale of ointments to heal burns was increasing in the state.
Shinde said some opposition leaders were getting women to fill up the forms of Ladki Bahin Yojana by omitting the CM's photo.
(With PTI inputs)
Also read: Ayodhya rape case: 'Victim's mother being forced to withdraw complaint,' claims BSP
