Kejriwal questions three-child cap on beneficiaries
AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal
The Delhi government’s flagship Delhi Laxmi Scheme, which promises a monthly financial assistance of ₹2,500 to eligible women, has become the latest political flashpoint even before its implementation.
New Delhi: The Delhi government’s flagship Delhi Laxmi Scheme, which promises a monthly financial assistance of ₹2,500 to eligible women, has become the latest political flashpoint even before its implementation. While the Cabinet has approved the scheme and online registrations are scheduled to begin on August 1, the eligibility condition barring mothers with more than three living children has sparked a war of words between the ruling BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
According to the Delhi government, the scheme has been introduced to provide financial support to women aged 21 to 60 years, with the first installment proposed to be credited around Raksha Bandhan. Beneficiaries will be able to receive the financial assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), the Digital Rupee (CBDC), or opt for Fixed Deposit (FD) and Recurring Deposit (RD) modes.
However, AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal questioned one of the scheme’s key eligibility conditions, alleging that it contradicts earlier public statements made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat regarding family size. According to Kejriwal, Bhagwat had advocated that Hindu families should have more children, while the Delhi government’s welfare scheme denies benefits to women who have more than three living children. In a post on social media platform X, Kejriwal wrote that the two positions send conflicting messages to the public.
“Hindus are confused. Mohan Bhagwat says every Hindu should have more children, while Rekha Gupta says women with more than three children will not receive the benefits of the Delhi Laxmi Scheme. Mohan Bhagwat and Rekha Gupta should together clarify what Hindus are supposed to do,” Kejriwal said.
‘The statement has triggered a fresh political debate, with the AAP alleging that there is a contradiction between ideological messaging and government policy. According to the party, women should not be deprived of welfare benefits because of conditions that appear inconsistent with broader public statements on
population growth. BJP MPs Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Bansuri Swaraj urged women in Delhi to register for the Laxmi Yojna to get a monthly financial aid
of Rs 2,500. Addressing a press conference, Swaraj who is New Delhi MP said that the scheme is an example of “motherly affection” of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
The scheme, is expected to benefit around 17 lakh women, would begin from August 1, Swaraj said.
