Mumbai, Sep 27 (IANS) The Shiv Sena (UBT) has criticised the launch of the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana in Bihar, alleging that it is nothing more than a “voter bribery scheme” ahead of the state assembly elections.

In a strongly worded editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Thackeray camp slammed the BJP for transferring Rs 10,000 each into the bank accounts of 75 lakh women — a total of Rs 7,500 crore — calling it an attempt to sway voters with money power.

It said both the Election Commission of India and the Supreme Court have turned a blind eye to such practices. “Every Indian should condemn the voter bribery scheme. It has raised doubts about the transparency and fairness of the elections. This type of buying Indian voters and gaining control over democracy is shocking,” it said.

Thackeray camp accused the Election Commission of India of being shameless, saying that it, along with the Supreme Court, is serving the BJP by sitting in constitutional positions.

“If these constitutional bodies are working as ‘branches’ of the BJP, then the elections in the country are just a farce. The BJP and Nitish Kumar alliance seemed confident of winning the elections. However, Rahul Gandhi thwarted their plans by accusing them of vote theft, like in Haryana and Maharashtra. Therefore, Prime Minister Modi has devised a plan to buy votes using the government treasury,” it alleged.

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena further claimed that this bribe given from the tax money of the people is an economic crime, but the rulers have said that the women will be able to set up industries and businesses from the aid received under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana.

Of the 1.11 crore women applicants, assistance has been approved for 75 lakh women. “Elections will be held in Bihar in the next two months. This ‘bribery’ was given away to buy votes a few days before the poll announcement. Prime Minister Modi himself is encouraging Indian voters to vote for money. The Election Commission should have taken a serious note of this,” it said.

“This is happening with the tacit consent of the Election Commission of India. Since the BJP came to power, the amount of government bribery to voters has increased in every election. Prime Minister Modi is not ready to keep many of the promises he made to the country. He gives sermons of self-reliance to the people, but instead of making the voters self-reliant, he seems to be making them weak and paralysed. The latest case of buying women’s votes in Bihar falls into the same category,” alleged the Thackeray camp.

According to the editorial, in Maharashtra too, before the assembly elections, the BJP and allies launched the Ladki Bahin Yojana and bought votes by depositing Rs 1500 each in the accounts of women. Due to this scheme, Maharashtra’s financial position has taken a hit as there is not even a penny left in the state treasury to help flood-affected farmers in Marathwada. The state’s Finance Minister goes on defending the allocation of Rs 45,000 crore for Ladki Bahin Yojana, but he does not talk about helping flood-affected farmers.

“The same game is now going on in Bihar too. To provide employment opportunities to women in rural areas, PM Modi deposited Rs 10,000 each in the accounts of 75 lakh women. What kind of industry and employment opportunities can be created in rural areas with Rs 10,000?” it asked.

Thackeray camp alleged that the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana was brought so that about one crore women in Bihar would vote for the BJP. The flood-affected farmers in Marathwada have not yet received a single penny of aid, but with an eye on assembly elections in Bihar, women have received Rs 10,000 from the corruption scheme.

“This is looting of the government treasury. This transaction by the Prime Minister amounts to an economic crime,” it claimed.

–IANS

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