Protest outside Atishi’s residence for Rs 1000 honorarium to women

New Delhi: The Mahila Manch members staged a protest outside Delhi Finance Minister Atishi’s residence here on Tuesday and demanded the AAP government to fulfill its budget announcement to provide Rs 1000 honorarium to the women of the city.

The protesters raised slogans outside the minister's residence on Mathura Road here.

"The AAP government announced Rs 1000 per month honorarium for women in its budget. It was not some poll promise. So, the government should now provide the money to the women," said one of the protesters Safia Faheem.

A police officer said the protesters were dispersed and no one was detained.

"Some women protested in front of the house of minister Atishi. No one was detained as they were protesting peacefully," said a senior police officer.

Addressing a press conference later in the day, Atishi said that the protest was staged by the opposition BJP’s women wing showing their “desperateness” to clinch votes.

"It was the BJP's women wing who staged the protest. This shows the BJP's desperateness. They know the people of Delhi want to see Kejriwal as the chief minister again, they know the chief minister will fulfil his promise of giving Rs 1,000. That's why they are staging such protests to scrap a few votes here and there in his name,” she said.

Speaking to PTI, Faheem said that she was not part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was out on bail from the Tihar jail during campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, repeatedly assured that he will provide Rs 1000 per month to the women of Delhi.

The AAP government had in its budget 2024-25 presented in the Assembly announced to provide Rs 1000 to adult women of Delhi per month under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana.

Atishi had told PTI in an interview earlier that the scheme was likely to be notified after the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls was lifted. She expected the scheme to be rolled out by September-October this year.