On January 21, 2025, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal strongly criticized the BJP’s election manifestos, calling them “dangerous for the country” and accusing the party of undermining free education and healthcare. He claimed that if the BJP comes to power, it will put an end to free education in government schools and shut down essential health services like Mohalla Clinics.

The BJP’s first manifesto, released earlier, promised financial assistance and healthcare schemes, including Rs 2,500 monthly aid for women, Rs 21,000 for pregnant women, and LPG cylinders at Rs 500. However, Kejriwal focused his criticism on the second manifesto, which proposed “free education” for needy students, suggesting this could mean a halt to free education for all students currently benefiting from AAP’s policies. Kejriwal argued that restricting free education to only “needy” students would lead to a discriminatory system and undermine the access to education for the broader population.

Further, Kejriwal pointed out that the BJP’s plan to shut Mohalla Clinics would force families to turn to expensive private healthcare providers. He claimed that these measures would burden families, especially in a city like Delhi, where private school and healthcare costs can add up to thousands of rupees per month.

In response, BJP leader Anurag Thakur, while unveiling the second part of the BJP’s Sankalp Patra, countered by announcing several ambitious schemes. These included free education for needy students from kindergarten to postgraduate level in government institutions, financial assistance for students preparing for competitive exams, and various welfare programs for auto and taxi drivers, as well as domestic workers. Thakur also promised the formation of an SIT to investigate alleged irregularities in the AAP government.

With Delhi’s assembly elections scheduled for February 5, 2025, Kejriwal appealed to voters to reject the BJP’s proposals, arguing that they would dismantle the social welfare programs that had helped the city’s poor and middle-class families. As the election draws near, these contrasting views on education, healthcare, and welfare continue to dominate the political conversation in Delhi.

Source: PTI

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