The BJP Announces Freebies for Students in Delhi Manifesto

The BJP Announces Freebies for Students in Delhi Manifesto

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday released the second part of its 'sankalp patra', or manifesto, for the February 5 Delhi election, vowing to "ensure solutions to citizens' problems" and declaring it would form a team to investigate "misgovernance and corruption" by the Aam Aadmi Party.

The party also declared another round of freebies, including free education - from pre-school to post-graduate degrees - for "needy students" at Delhi government institutions, and cash aid of Rs 15,000, plus travel reimbursements, for young men and women appearing for entrance tests.

In addition, students from Scheduled Castes studying technical and professional courses will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000, the BJP said.

In a first, the BJP has divided its pre-Delhi poll promises into two sections; the first, announced last week, focused on sops for women voters, who are increasingly seen as a key voter base.

This, the second part of the manifesto, focuses on students, with plans also announced for a 'skills training' programme for over 1.5 lakh young men and women.

There was a special jab at the AAP over the tragic deaths of three civil service aspirants amid massive flooding in the city in July last year; Shreya Yadav, 25; Tanya Soni, 25; and Nevin Delvin, 24, died after the basement of a building in Old Rajinder Nagar was flooded after heavy rain.

The announcements were made by ex-Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who declared each had a 'Modi ki guarantee' and would be rolled out in a "time-bound" manner, should the BJP win.

Among other 'Modi ki guarantee' offers, the BJP said it would set up a welfare board for domestic workers and provide them with life insurance of Rs 10 lakh and accident insurance of Rs 5 lakh.

The BJP also targeted auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, the former of whom were widely seen as a core vote base for AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal, also promising them life insurance of Rs 10 lakh and accident and vehicle insurance of Rs 5 lakh, as well as scholarships for their children.

The AAP has responded sharply to the BJP's second round of promises.

After the first round a bemused Mr Kejriwal pointed out his rivals had said they would continue with many of the AAP's welfare policies if voted to power, and asked why the people should then vote for them. The BJP declared he could not differentiate between freebies and development.

This time around, Mr Kejriwal red-flagged a clause in the BJP manifesto that he said would mean only "eligible children will get free education in Delhi government schools".

"But, under AAP, everyone is getting free education... this means they want people to be harassed and make multiple trips to BJP offices to admit their children in schools," the former Chief Minister said.

"Last week BJP announced free healthcare for all will be stopped... today they have announced that free education will be stopped. I request the people of Delhi to BEWARE. Don't vote for BJP... or else your house budget will go for a toss, and you won't be able to live in Delhi!"

BJP Delhi Manifesto | Freebies For Students In BJP's Delhi Poll Manifesto Part 2, AAP Hits Back