Congress and BJP Exchange Accusations Over 'Exclusion' of Participants from Ladli Behna Yojana in Madhya Pradesh
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Bhopal, Jan 10 (NationPress) The Opposition Congress and the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh have exchanged sharp criticisms over the alleged 'exclusion' of names from the 'Ladli Behna Yojana', a widely discussed cash assistance initiative aimed at women, which was introduced in the state leading up to the 2023 Assembly elections.
The Congress has asserted that the state government plans to eliminate women aged over 60 from the 'Ladli Behna Yojana', proposing that they will only receive old age pensions.
According to the Congress, out of more than 2.47 crore women aged 23 to 60 who are registered for the Ladli Behna Yojana, approximately 1.63 crore women have reached 60 years of age and will therefore be excluded from the program.
These excluded individuals are expected to receive Rs 1,250 monthly through the pension scheme, as stated by the Congress.
The president of the Pradesh Congress Committee, Jitu Patwari, criticized the BJP government for opting to remove beneficiaries from the scheme instead of expanding it, citing age restrictions.
"This action by the BJP government has revealed that the Ladli Behna Yojana was merely a tactic to garner votes from women. The BJP had pledged to raise the monthly assistance from Rs 1,250 to Rs 3,000. We have now learned that over 1.63 lakh women have been excluded from the scheme," Patwari expressed.
Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, also criticized the BJP government, arguing that reducing the number of beneficiaries constitutes unfair treatment towards women.
He claimed that the BJP government is "plotting" to dismantle the 'Ladli Behna Yojana' after regaining power.
"There are claims that women aged 60 years and above are being removed from the scheme," stated Kamal Nath.
In response to these allegations, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav affirmed that the scheme will operate according to the guidelines established at its inception.
He accused the Congress of deceiving the public with unfounded accusations against the BJP government.
"The Ladli Behna Yojana and any other schemes are structured with specific rules and regulations that have been adhered to. The Congress is attempting to mislead the public with baseless claims," CM Yadav remarked during a media briefing on Friday.
