Surat AAP demands Delhi-style welfare schemes for Gujarat

Surat : Surat witnessed a politically charged atmosphere on Monday as leaders and workers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) gathered at the district collector’s office to submit a memorandum to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Holding banners and raising anti-BJP slogans, the protest was aimed at what AAP termed as the BJP’s “anti-Gujarat policies.”

AAP leader Payal Sakaria accused the BJP of ignoring the needs of Gujarat’s women, elderly, and pregnant women, despite the party’s promises during elections in Delhi. Drawing a comparison, Sakaria highlighted the BJP’s manifesto for the Delhi elections, which included promises such as ₹2,500 monthly allowances for women, ₹21,000 for pregnant women under the Matru Suraksha Vandana Yojana, and pensions for the elderly. She questioned why similar schemes were not implemented in Gujarat, where the BJP has been in power for 30 years.

“In Gujarat, women are not just disrespected; they are humiliated with public processions,” Sakaria said, emphasizing the disparity in welfare measures between Delhi and Gujarat. “When elections come in Delhi, BJP promises big things like allowances and subsidies. But here in Gujarat, education and healthcare have deteriorated. What kind of politics is this?”

AAP also criticized BJP leaders for mocking similar welfare schemes in the past. “They once called Arvind Kejriwal’s schemes ‘Revdi culture,’ but now they are walking the same path,” Sakaria added. She stated that AAP aims to bring meaningful change to Gujarat’s politics, accusing BJP of making hollow promises, or “jumlas.”

When approached for a response, Surat BJP city president Niranjan Jhanjmera and MLA Kumar Kanani stated, “Decisions on such policies are taken at a higher level. We cannot comment further.”

The BJP’s manifesto for the Delhi elections, released last Friday, included several welfare measures such as a ₹500 subsidy on LPG cylinders for poor women and free cylinders during Holi and Diwali. It also pledged to continue current electricity, bus, and water schemes.

AAP’s memorandum demanded that similar policies be implemented in Gujarat. Whether the state government will respond to these demands remains to be seen, but the protest has certainly sparked a fresh political debate in Gujarat.