Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's announcement of 'free education' policy (proposal) and 'scholarship' for school children in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh seems to have created uneasiness in the ruling BJP.
The BJP held a series of press conferences on Friday to counter the Congress' proposal for scholarship. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleged that state Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief Kamal Nath made Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to make a fake announcement regarding the free education policy. Addressing a press at his residence, CM Chouhan said, "Gandhi family has cheated people of this country, butthey (Rahul and Priyanka) are being cheated by Kamal Nath. They are being forced to make fake promises," Shivraj said. However, he did not take questions from the media persons during the press conference.
Second press conference was addressed by the state Home Minister Narottam Mishra at the party's newly established media center (BJP has established a new media centre outside the party's state quarter for Assembly 2023 and Lok Sabha election in 2024.). Mishra also made the same remark and termed Congress' scholarship scheme a 'bundle of lies'. During her public rally in tribal dominated Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, Priyanka Gandhi promised that the Congress wouldbring 'free education' policy, if voted to power in the state.
Besides announcing a slew of promises, including implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees, she said, "Congress government would provide not only free education from Classes 1 to 12, but also allowance of Rs 500 per month to students from Classes 1 to 8, that of Rs 1,000 per month to those in Classes 9 and 10 and Rs 1,500 to those in Classes 11 and 12 under the 'Padho-Padhao' (learn and teach) scheme."
Congress has announced to provide LPG cylinder at Rs 500
Sources said the Congress' promises for 'free education' policy and scholarship for school children have created an uneasiness in the BJP. Notably, in the past few months, the BJP government-led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has implemented several schemes, including 'Ladli Behna Yojana'. The Congress has announced to provide LPG cylinder at Rs 500 and it was one of the 11 points promised in the Congress's bachanpatra (election manifesto). To counter the same, CM Chouhan announced to provide LPG cylinder at Rs 450.
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