Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sudhanshu Trivedi launched a sharp critique against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday, condemning Yadav’s promises regarding job creation and women’s welfare in Bihar. Trivedi accused the RJD leader of misleading the public and urged him to stop “joking with the people of Bihar.”
Addressing Yadav’s pledges, Trivedi remarked, “I would like to say on their behalf that one should try to understand the true intent behind what RJD leaders say. For instance, when Tejashwi Yadav promised 10 lakh jobs or even 20 lakh jobs, the public might not have grasped the underlying sentiment, but we understood it. In other words, their real sentiment seems to be: in exchange for a government job, they'll take your house, just as they've already taken your land. As for their talk about women's welfare, I believe during Lalu Prasad Yadav's regime, forget livelihoods—women's lives and dignity were under such grave threats that Bihar still hasn't forgotten those times.”
Trivedi emphasised the achievements of the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in promoting women’s empowerment in Bihar.
He stated, “After Nitish Kumar's government came to power in Bihar, many schemes for women's empowerment have been running in the state. Government schemes like Har Ghar Sauchalaya, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Mudhra Yojaya, Lakhpati Didi and Drone Didi are evidence of our thinking of 10 years. For women empowerment, NDA and Nitish ji have a methodical, consistent and pragmatic approach. Tejashwi ji said he will give 10 lakh jobs, but its actual meaning is that they will give a job for Rs 10 lakhs. It means now they will take a house and property for a job, like earlier when they took land for a job.”
Earlier that day, Tejashwi Yadav held a press conference in Patna, where he outlined several welfare initiatives aimed at women. He announced that if the Mahagathbandhan coalition forms the government in Bihar, Jeevika Didis—community mobilisers working under the state’s rural livelihood programme—would be granted permanent government employee status. Yadav further promised that their salaries would be raised to Rs 30,000 per month.
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Taking a jab at the NDA’s “double-engine” government, Yadav criticised its Mai Bahin Maan Yojana, which provides Rs 10,000 to women in Bihar, calling it a “bribe” timed with the approaching assembly elections. “They distributed Rs 10,000 under the Mai Bahin Maan Yojana for the women of Bihar, which is a bribe. This is a loan, Amit Shah himself said it. This means that they will recover this money. Today, we are going to make another historic announcement,” Yadav declared.
He continued, “All of you are aware that injustice has been done to the Jeevika Didis under this government. We have decided that all the Jeevika CM (Community Mobilisers) Didis will be made permanent and will be given the status of government employees. We will also increase their salary to Rs 30,000 per month. This is not an ordinary announcement. This has been the demand of Jeevika Didis for years.”
Additionally, Yadav announced that a future Mahagathbandhan government would waive the interest on loans taken by Jeevika Didis and provide them with interest-free credit for the next two years.
Also Read: Tejashwi pitches permanent jobs vs. NDA's Jeevika Didi scheme
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