Mumbai, April 5: Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde has strongly defended the Maharashtra government’s flagship welfare scheme, the ‘Ladki Behna Yojana’, dismissing the opposition’s allegations as baseless.
In a conversation, Hegde stated, “The Ladki Behna Yojana is a key program of our government. The deadline for KYC registration has been set for April 30. There is no substance to the opposition’s claims. The government has allocated approximately ₹26,000 crores for this scheme, which has been operational since August 2024, providing each beneficiary woman with ₹1,500 per month.”
Hegde also addressed concerns regarding fuel supply amid rising tensions in the Middle East. He mentioned, “A Japanese vessel carrying fuel is en route to India, and an Indian ship is returning through the Hormuz Strait. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with the President of Iran, which facilitated the passage of two vessels from Hormuz earlier. There will be no shortage of fuel and gas in India, and all credit goes to Prime Minister Modi and his government.”
The Shiv Sena spokesperson criticized recent statements by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, stating, “Chowdhury’s remarks regarding the TMC’s strategy to garner Muslim votes are highly inappropriate. He suggested that Muslims would vote for the TMC where they have a chance of winning and for Congress where they might. This statement is divisive. The public votes based on work, not religion.”
Responding to suggestions from young Samajwadi Party MP Ikra Chowdhury regarding dedicating a day in the Lok Sabha to child development, Hegde acknowledged the idea but noted that the management of Lok Sabha proceedings is handled by the secretariat according to agenda and timing. He added that Ikra Chowdhury, whose father was also a former MP, should be aware of parliamentary processes.