Delhi: Atishi, AAP MLAs protest outside CM's office, demand Rs 2,500 aid to women beneficiaries

Atishi says, "We had asked for time from the Chief Minister for the last 2 days, we did not get time for 2 days and today we went to meet Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ji during the session and we told her that the promise made in the first cabinet, the guarantee given by Modi ji, that promise has been broken, that guarantee has been proved false. We hope that on 8th March, the first installment of Rs 2500 of Mahila Samman Yojana will definitely come into the account of every woman of Delhi..."

The protest comes a day after Rekha Gupta alleged that the previous AAP government had left an "empty public exchequer" before the BJP dispensation, and assured that Rs 2,500 monthly payment scheme for women would be implemented with detailed planning.

Gupta's predecessor Atishi hit back saying after ten years, AAP regime handed over "fiscally strong" government to the BJP. The party must focus on delivering on their promises instead of making "excuses", she said.

Gupta attended a meeting along with other BJP MLAs at the state party office ahead of the first session of the newly constituted 8th Delhi Assembly scheduled on Monday.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, the newly appointed chief minister said several phases of meetings have been held with the officers over the implementation of the Mahila Samriddhi Yojna under which Rs 2,500 per month is to be paid to the eligible women in Delhi.

"The condition which the (previous) government has left for us. When we sat with officers to review the financial status of the current government, we found that the government exchequer empty," she said on a question about the preparation to implement the scheme.

Gupta, however, assured that the scheme will surely be implemented with detailed planning.

State BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the BJP government's only agenda was ensuring a developed Delhi and solving the problems of the people.

The BJP returned to power in Delhi after 26 years, ending AAP government's decade long rule.

It ousted AAP from power winning 48 of the 70 seats in Delhi Assembly, in the polls held earlier this month.

The new Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Atishi said when the AAP formed government in 2015, Delhi's total budget was only Rs 30,000 crore. In the past ten year, the budget grew to Rs 77,000 crore, she said.

"I had expected that from the moment BJP government was formed, it would start making excuses to avoid fulfilling its so called guarantees and promises," she said attacking the BJP.

The people of Delhi expect delivery, not "delays", Atishi said and accused the ruling BJP of looking for ways to "wriggle out" of its "guarantees" and promises during the elections.