The Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Meghalaya threw down the gauntlet to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), daring to move court over the former’s ‘WE Card’ women’s empowerment scheme.
The TMC has promised that one woman from every family in Meghalaya will be eligible for Rs 1,000 monthly as a grant if the party is elected to power at the upcoming state elections. Around 2 lakh women have, the party said, signed up for the scheme.
“We are well within our rights to work for women’s empowerment and this is a promise that we have made and, therefore, if the BJP feels this is violating some code of conduct or something they are most welcome to approach any court of law they want, but I know that their challenge will hold no water,” TMC Meghalaya president Charles Pyngrope said today.
The state BJP had warned late last month that it would complain to the Election Commission over the WE Card promises and decided to go through with its threat today.
Pyngrope called this hypocritical as the BJP, he alleged, had promised to give Rs 15 lakh to every person in the country during a previous Parliament campaign, which of course never materialised.
Pyngrope promised that the TMC would carry through with its promises even if it rules Meghalaya in coalition with other parties.
