BJP's Delhi Manifesto Sparks Controversy: AAP Claims Plagiarism

AAP's Priyanka Kakkar accuses BJP of copying their welfare schemes, questioning PM Modi's approval. BJP's JP Nadda defends their manifesto, promising welfare initiatives for women and probes into AAP's alleged corruption. AAP's Arvind Kejriwal retaliates, accusing BJP of lacking vision.

The Aam Aadmi Party's national spokesperson, Priyanka Kakkar, has launched a sharp criticism against the Bharatiya Janata Party's manifesto for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Speaking on Saturday, she alleged that the BJP has replicated welfare schemes originally introduced by the AAP government. Kakkar questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved of the manifesto, given his previous criticisms of such schemes as 'freebies'. "The BJP's manifesto acknowledges the continuation of Delhi's welfare services, indicating that until now, Prime Minister Modi's characterization of our schemes as 'freebies' was untrue. Does this manifesto carry his endorsement?" Kakkar posed during an ANI interview.

Moreover, Kakkar noted the manifesto's silence on law and order concerns, pointing out a rise in criminal activities in Delhi, mentioning infamous criminals orchestrating crimes from the Sabarmati jail. She interrogated the BJP's plans to address these issues, if any. The BJP's National President, JP Nadda, unveiled this manifesto on Friday, projecting it as pivotal for a 'developed Delhi' and stating a clear resolve to investigate alleged corruption within AAP.

The BJP's manifesto includes several promises targeting women's welfare, such as distributing six nutritional kits and Rs 21,000 under the Matritva Suraksha Yojana to promote maternal health. Another initiative, the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, proposes a monthly financial aid of Rs 2,500 for women in Delhi to foster economic empowerment. Nadda took the opportunity to slam the ruling AAP, labeling their Mohalla clinics as centers of corruption and vowing to probe an alleged Rs 300 crore scam if BJP comes to power. He criticized AAP's unmet financial promises, referencing a pledge of Rs 2100 that was unfulfilled in both Delhi and Punjab, emphasizing his point with a scathing evaluation of AAP's governance track record.

(With inputs from agencies.)