Political parties in Punjab are banking on women to empower them during the ensuing state assembly polls. In a knee jerk reaction to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s guarantee to monthly grant Rs 1,000 to 18-plus women, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday promised double the amount and much more if the party returns to power in the State.
Just about a month after he virtually took a dig at Kejriwal’s announcement by saying the Punjab’s women were not dependent on such “lollipops”, Sidhu went to announce Rs 2000 per month and eight gas cylinders a year to home-makers, electric scooters and Rs 20,000 for Class XII pass girl students taking admission in colleges for further studies, Rs 15,000 to the ones passing Class X, and Rs 5,000 to those passing Class V.
That was not all! Sidhu also announced that transfer of properties in the name of women will also be done free of charge. He also promised to set up 28 skill development centres for women across the State.
Interestingly, the announcement was made by Sidhu at the time when the party high command was yet to constitute the full-fledged manifesto committee. As of now, the party appointed Rajya Sabha MP and senior leader Partap Singh Bajwa as manifesto committee’s head on December 6. However, he is still awaiting his team, which is also to be appointed by the party’s central high command.
The announcements, made by Sidhu in a rally organised in Barnala district, also assume significance as the cricketer-turned-politician has all along been making attempts to pressurise the party high command to announce him as the Chief Ministerial candidate.
Sidhu has been targeting his own party’s government, especially the Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, over slew of issues at a time when the main opposition parties are all geared up for the polls, and even announced most of the candidates.
Punjab Congress chief, addressing the rally, made the promises while stressing the need for empowering women in the state. “Women homemakers will be given Rs 2,000 per month and eight (LPG) cylinders free by the Punjab government....Girls, be it from villages or urban areas, after passing fifth class, will be given Rs 5,000,” he said.
He went on to add, “As an incentive, girls who pass class X will be given Rs 15,000 and girls after passing XII and wish to go to colleges for higher studies will be given Rs 20,000.”
He also promised computers for girls for pursuing higher studies, and two-wheelers to enable them to go to college.
EARLIER, SIDHU HAD DUBBED AAP’s ANNOUNCEMENT AS LOLLIPOPS
AAP had, earlier, announced to give Rs 1000 to every woman if the party formed the government in Punjab. At that time, Sidhu dubbed the announcement as “lollipop” and “alms”, while accusing the AAP of making “false promises''. In a volte face, Sidhu on Monday announced the same, and claimed that he would fulfill the promise “by taking the money out of the pocket of the mafia in Punjab ''. Sidhu had been targeting Kejriwal for announcing sops for various sections, without considering the state’s financial condition. “Kejriwal promises 26 lakh jobs if AAP government is formed in Punjab...To provide such jobs, Rs 93,000 crore will be required. If Rs 1000 each is to be given to all 18-plus women of Punjab, Rs 12,000 crore is required. Fr providing free power, Rs 3600 crores is required...and for all this, Rs 1.10 lakh crore is required, while Punjab’s budget itself is Rs 72,000 crore, out of which, Rs 70,000 crores go towards the salary, pension, and loans of the employees. Then from where will Kejriwal get the money to fulfill these announcements?” he had asked.
‘EVEN BICYCLE HAS A STAND, BUT NOT SIDHU: AAP’s CHADHA
Taking a dig at Sidhu’s announcement, AAP’s Punjab affairs co-in-charge Raghav Chadha on Monday said that Sidhu is a person without stand. “There is a saying in Punjab that ‘even a bicycle has a stand, but Sidhu has no stand’,” said Chadha, while sharing a video clip which shows Sidhu’s two statements — the one he made on Monday announcing sops for womenfolk, and another in which he was criticising Kejriwal’s Rs 1000 announcement. “In the first part of video, Sidhu is critical of Arvind Kejriwal's announcement of giving Rs 1000 to all women above 18 years of age in Punjab. And, in the second part, Sidhu himself is making an announcement to give Rs 2000 monthly and eight LPG gas cylinders free of cost to the domestic women of Punjab. Other parties are also attacking Navjot Sidhu after this announcement and Sidhu has become a butt of jokes on social media too,” said Chadha.
CABINET MINISTER RANA GURJIT QUESTIONS SIDHU’s ANNOUNCEMENTS
Punjab’s senior Cabinet Minister, Rana Gurjit Singh, on Monday questioned the announcements made by the party chief Sidhu. He maintained that Sidhu made these announcements “in his personal capacity” and could prove to be “misleading” as the party manifesto itself has not come into existence yet. Rana Gurjit, in a scathing attack on Sidhu, accused him of “weakening” the party. “No one should make such an announcement as it is the collective responsibility of the party and after taking any decision by the party, all the leaders would jointly say what the party government would do for the people,” he said.
“If the Manifesto Committee does not clear the announcements made today, then who will be responsible for this. It does not give a good impression, and then constituting a Manifesto Committee would make no sense,” he added. Rana Gurjit, mincing no words, went on to add that the party was getting weaker and everyone knew who was weakening the party. “I can’t see the Congress becoming weak and that’s why I have to speak,” he added.
Also raising a strong objection to the announcements of candidates being made by Sidhu, Rana Gurjit said that the decision on tickets should be taken by the high command and thus there should be no confusion. “Wherever the president goes, people turn to other parties,” he said. At the same time, he also praised the Chief Minister saying that “Channi is doing a very good job and taking everyone along...He always seeks advice on what could be done better”.