Ladki Bahin scheme 'more or less finished', claims Aaditya Thackeray

Aaditya Thackeray claimed the Devendra Fadnavis-led government is in power only due to the Election Commission's 'blessings'.

Nashik: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday claimed the Maharashtra government's flagship Ladki Bahin scheme has "more or less ended" and the ruling dispensation was planning to remove lakhs of women from the beneficiary list.

Speaking at a party event here, Thackeray further claimed the Devendra Fadnavis-led government is in power only due to the Election Commission's "blessings" and termed the ruling Mahayuti coalition as "demonic".

The Sena (UBT) leader's remarks came a day after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds charge of the finance department, said that budgetary allocation for the Ladki Bahin scheme has been made and there is no question of scrapping it.

Under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which is believed to have played a key role in the victory of the Mahayuti (comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP) in the state polls last year, women are provided Rs 1,500 every month.

"There is a talk whether the amount will be slashed to Rs 500 or whether beneficiaries will continue to get Rs 1,500. We were planning to give Rs 3,000 (promised by opposition MVA before polls)," Thackeray said.

"Ladki Bahin Yojana has more or less ended. They (government) will not give Rs 2,100 (as promised) and I doubt whether they (women) will get even Rs 1,500," he said.

The Mahayuti before the state polls last year promised to raise the Ladki Bahin scheme's monthly instalment to Rs 2,100.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP), had promised to provide an assistance of Rs 3,000 per month to women.

"You need a certain level of shamelessness that after forming government with a thumping majority, you don't include any of your poll promises in the first budget of the government," Thackeray said.

The former state further claimed the government was planning to exclude lakhs of women from the Ladki Bahin scheme's beneficiary list.

"They have removed lakhs of women from the scheme. They are taking back money from the accounts where money was transferred and I have also heard that police will also take action against women for a scam," the Sena (UBT) leader said.

On Tuesday, state Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said no change has been made in the amount of assistance paid under the scheme, but some 7.74 lakh women already getting Rs 1,000 under another scheme are being paid the difference of Rs 500.

Thackeray claimed the Fadnavis government has not brought a single new scheme for the youth.

It is the "biggest crime" to expect any justice from the home minister (Fadnavis), he charged.

"If you expect justice from the home minister, you will be booked for a non-bailable offence," he alleged.

Thackeray also claimed that farmers have been duped, as neither their loans will be waived nor electricity bills.