"What's going to happen with just fifteen hundred rupees? Can the Chief Minister run his household on fifteen hundred rupees?" questioned Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut, demanding that women should also receive ₹10,000 monthly under the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme, similar to the benefits provided to men.
He highlighted that while students who pass their 12th grade will receive ₹6,000, and graduates will get ₹10,000 as scholarships, the real need is for the beloved sisters who manage households. "In families where the brother is unemployed, the husband is jobless, and there are no jobs available, 25,000 educated youth competed for 2,000 loader positions at Air India. This is the reality in Maharashtra. These beloved brothers should also receive ₹10,000, and the same amount should be deposited in the accounts of beloved sisters," Raut asserted.
Raut continued, "What will ₹1,500 achieve? Can the Chief Minister's household run on ₹1,500? Can the beloved sister or beloved daughter-in-law in the Chief Minister's home manage on ₹1,500? Why should the beloved sister be treated unfairly? Give ₹10,000 to both the beloved sister and the beloved brother. Show gender equality in Maharashtra," he emphasized.
Raut pointed out that Maharashtra is burdened with a debt of ₹8 lakh crore and criticized the government for launching new schemes after losing the Lok Sabha elections. He stated, "The 'Beloved Sister' scheme is a copy of a scheme from Madhya Pradesh. Now they've introduced 'Beloved Brother'. But can households run on ₹10,000? Will it stop farmer suicides?"
Raut expressed confidence that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will win 280 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections. "We are only surveying all 288 seats. The three parties within MVA are conducting their studies. We will then sit together to decide the seat-sharing arrangement," he clarified.
Commenting on Chhagan Bhujbal, Raut said, "Bhujbal is a great actor, having worked in films. He is adept at creating drama by frequently changing his appearance. Everyone saw the stir in politics when he met Sharad Pawar. But Pawar is the greatest actor of them all, respected across Maharashtra and the nation. Maharashtra is like a traveling theater, and Bhujbal is one of its actors," he remarked.