In a brazen display of authoritarianism, the BJP’s Speaker in the Delhi Assembly stifled a crucial debate on the ‘Mahila Samridhi Yojana,’ barring Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs from speaking on the BJP and PM Modi’s promise of ₹2,500 financial aid for women.
The issue, duly listed under Rule 280 in the Assembly’s agenda, was blocked from discussion by Speaker Vijender Gupta, triggering a mass walkout by AAP legislators, including Leader of Opposition (LoP) Atishi. Condemning the Speaker’s actions, Atishi lashed out at the BJP, asserting that they are “killing democracy to hide its lies.”
After walking out of the Delhi Assembly, LoP Atishi stated that the real reason for suppressing the voices of AAP MLAs in the Assembly is that the BJP and PM Modi do not want their lies to be exposed. That is why, in the fight for the rights of Delhi’s women, AAP legislators walked out in protest. This struggle will continue, both on the streets and in the Assembly, until every woman in Delhi receives ₹2,500.
The Delhi Assembly LoP further stated that under Rule 280, every MLA has the right to raise an issue. However, when AAP MLA Prem Chauhan raised the issue of the ₹2,500 ‘Mahila Samridhhi Yojana’, Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta did not allow him to speak. “Prem Chauhan had submitted the issue under Rule 280, it was drawn through a lottery, and it was printed in the List of Business. But because the BJP wants to conceal PM Narendra Modi’s false promises, Speaker Vijender Gupta did not let the AAP MLA speak,” she asserted.
Atishi affirmed that it is now crystal clear—BJP and PM Narendra Modi have no intention of giving ₹2,500 to the women of Delhi. “If an MLA raises a question that has already been listed in the List of Business, how can the Speaker single out just that one MLA and bar them from speaking? This proves that the BJP has no plans to fulfill its ₹2,500 promise, and in protest, AAP MLAs walked out,” she stated.
On the question of whether multiple MLAs can raise the same issue, Atishi clarified that no rule prohibits it. How can one MLA know what another has submitted? Even BJP MLAs would not know which of their colleagues have raised a particular question. The Assembly’s procedure allows any MLA to bring up an issue under Rule 280, and a lottery determines which 10 members will get to raise their concerns. Never in the history of the Assembly has an MLA been prevented from speaking after their name appeared on the list. It is clear that AAP was blocked only because PM Modi’s lie on the ₹2,500 scheme was exposed.
Meanwhile, AAP MLA Prem Chauhan posted on X, questioning the BJP and PM Modi: “Under Rule 280, I sought to raise the concerns of my constituency, Deoli, and the women of Delhi, who are still waiting for Modi’s Guarantee to be fulfilled. When will ₹2,500 start reaching their accounts every month? When my turn came in the Assembly to raise this issue, as per the rules, the Speaker stopped me from speaking. Why? Does the BJP and Modi ji not want to give ₹2,500 to women?”
Speaker Prevents AAP MLA from Raising the Issue
The issue that the Assembly Speaker prevented the AAP MLA from raising is as follows:
Under Rule 280, I wish to draw the minister’s attention to a critical issue related to the Women’s Prosperity Scheme. Every day, hundreds of women visit my MLA office in Deoli. Whether at public events, during Assembly visits, or while interacting with residents in markets and neighborhoods, they all have one question—when will ₹2,500 be credited to our accounts?
During the elections, Modi ji told women to link their mobile numbers with their bank accounts and assured them that the first installment would arrive on March 8. March 8 came and went, but no money was received. Many women have checked their bank accounts multiple times, reviewed their ATM balances, and waited anxiously for an SMS notification, but the ₹2,500 installment never arrived. Some had even started preparing for celebrations in their households, thinking they would now receive ₹2,500 every month. But the money never came.
The announcement of this scheme had given hope to women, but delays in payments have now led to growing disappointment. The government must clarify when this scheme will be implemented, what process is being followed, and why there is a delay. Women deserve clear answers so they can move out of this uncertainty. The women of Delhi are asking—when will ₹2,500 arrive?
