Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday questioned the Centre's commitment to women's safety and empowerment, citing a recent RTI revelation that Rs 455 crores have gone missing from the Modi government's "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" scheme, launched in 2015 to combat gender imbalance and promote women's empowerment.
Kharge highlighted the plight of women, referencing incidents such as a recent rape on a government bus in Pune and the cases of women from Manipur and Hathras, asserting that women's safety has deteriorated under the BJP. He accused the government of attempting to conceal statistics related to the scheme and reiterated questions he previously posed to Prime Minister Modi regarding the government's commitment to women's safety.
In a post on X, he stated, "RTI has revealed that Rs 455 crores have 'disappeared' from the Modi government's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme." He criticized the BJP's advertisement "Enough of attacks on women," arguing it rings hollow amid ongoing harassment and violence against women under BJP rule.
He asked, "Why did the BJP choose to 'save the criminals' instead of 'save the daughters'? When will the women of Manipur receive justice? Why has the BJP consistently protected the criminals involved in cases like Hathras and Unnao?"
Kharge expressed concern over the disconnect between the Prime Minister's assurances on women's safety and the reality, noting that 43 crimes against women occur every hour in India. He questioned why, despite the Prime Minister's speeches on women's safety, there is a gap between words and actions.
He also raised issues regarding fund misallocation, pointing out that nearly 80% of the total amount allocated for the "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" scheme was spent on media advertising until 2019. Following exposure by the Parliamentary Standing Committee, funding for the scheme was cut by 63% between 2018-19 and 2022-23, and the government ceased providing data on expenditures after merging it with the "Sambal" scheme under "Mission Shakti."
Kharge criticized the lack of accountability and accused the Modi government of halving the budget for the Ministry of Women and Child Development over the past 11 years. He noted a 30% reduction in funds for "Sambal" in 2023-24 and questioned the motives behind data manipulation.
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He concluded that the BJP's slogan "Enough of attacks on women" is empty after a decade of unfulfilled promises, asking, "Will placing 'Beti Bachao' on trucks or walls stop crimes against women, create job opportunities, improve health facilities, or provide justice for victims? The BJP's hollow advertisement reveals its hypocrisy after 10 years!"