The Delhi High Court on Monday opted not to expedite a hearing regarding a petition challenging the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) election pledge to offer a monthly stipend of ₹2,100 to women under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana scheme. Justice Jyoti Singh slated the case for regular hearing on January 30, stating there was no sufficient ground to advance the date.
The plea, filed by Vijay Kumar, questions the authenticity of AAP’s promise, asserting that the Delhi government previously denied the existence of such a scheme. This legal challenge emerges amid AAP’s active promotion of the scheme as part of their campaign strategy for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, scheduled for February 5, with results to be announced on February 8.
In court proceedings, the petitioner’s attorney, Shiv Shankar Parashar, highlighted the urgency of the matter due to the ongoing publicity of the scheme by AAP, which he claims misleads voters. Parashar also expressed dissatisfaction with the Election Commission of India’s handling of a complaint regarding the alleged misinformation, filed on January 3. He urged the court to direct the commission to quickly resolve the complaint.
The controversy intensified following announcements on December 12, 2024, by AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal about the implementation of the scheme and an increase in monthly aid from ₹1,000 to ₹2,100 if re-elected. Subsequent public notices on December 25 from Delhi’s Women and Child Development and Health departments, however, contradicted these claims. The departments warned the public against providing personal details for registration to what they described as “non-existent” schemes, labeling any such data collection efforts as fraudulent.
