Mallikarjun Kharge / 455 crores disappeared in Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme- Kharge's big claim

Mallikarjun Kharge: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday claimed that information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) shows that Rs 455 crore has been misappropriated in the Central Government's ambitious scheme 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. There has been no official response from the government on this issue so far.

Kharge's statement and Congress's allegation

Kharge posted on 'X' (formerly Twitter) and said, "The Right to Information Act has revealed that Rs 455 crore has "disappeared" in the Modi government's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme. BJP's "Bahut Hua Nari Par Vaar" advertisement has been mocking the cries of women for the last 10 years, who have been harassed under the BJP rule and sometimes by elements associated with the BJP."

He also said that the situation of women's safety is continuously deteriorating across the country. "Whether it is the recent rape of a woman in a government bus in Pune or the incidents in Manipur and Hathras, or the cases related to women Olympic champions, there is no trace of women's safety left under BJP rule."

RTI Revealed: Where did the Rs 455 crore go?

The Congress alleged that the Modi government's women empowerment schemes have remained confined to papers only. The party sought an answer from the government as to who will take responsibility for the embezzlement of Rs 455 crore exposed under the RTI.

Developments related to Pune rape case

In his statement, Kharge also mentioned the recent gruesome incident in Pune, in which a woman was raped in a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus at Swargate bus stand. In this case, the police arrested the accused Dattatreya Gade on Friday. The accused had half a dozen cases of theft, robbery and chain snatching registered against him earlier and he was out on bail since 2019.

Pune Police said that 13 police teams were deployed at various places to arrest Gade. On Thursday, the police took the help of dog squads and drones during a search operation in sugarcane fields of Shirur tehsil, after which the accused was arrested.

Political reactions and debate on women's safety

The political atmosphere has heated up after Mallikarjun Kharge's claims. Congress has made serious allegations against the Modi government regarding women's safety and has demanded a detailed investigation into the alleged scam of Rs 455 crore. However, there has been no formal response from the BJP yet.

This development has sparked a fresh debate on women's safety and transparency in government schemes. Now it will be interesting to see what clarification the government gives on this allegation and whether any investigation is started in this matter or not.