AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal announced on Friday that his party plans to provide financial assistance to Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) for hiring private security guards if they are re-elected in Delhi.  

During a press conference, Kejriwal mentioned that specific guidelines detailing the financial assistance amounts and the number of guards that can be hired will be established later.

In his statements, Kejriwal criticized the BJP, claiming the party has disregarded the welfare of Delhi’s residents, which has contributed to their absence from power for 27 years. He emphasized that AAP prioritizes the needs of the people in Delhi, as evidenced by their commitment to support RWAs in enhancing neighborhood security through private security services.

Earlier on December 30, Kejriwal announced a new scheme that offers a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 to Hindu and Sikh priests. Kejriwal said that the registration of the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana will begin on Tuesday. This announcement comes amid a huge row over a scheme that promises a monthly stipend to unemployed women.

Addressing a press conference, the former Delhi Chief Minister said that he was making an important announcement regarding a scheme. He mentioned that the name of the scheme is Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. He continued that under this scheme, there is a provision to give an honorarium to the priests of temples and the granthis of the Gurudwara, adding that they will be given an honorarium of about Rs 18,000 per month. 

He pointed out that this is happening for the first time in the country. He added that the priest is a class that has carried forward the rituals from generation to generation, who never paid attention to their family and the governments never paid attention to them. Arvind Kejriwal said he would kickstart the scheme after visiting the Hanuman Temple in Delhi’s Connaught Place tomorrow.

Earlier, the AAP national convenor launched the Mahila Samman scheme which offered a stipend of Rs 2100 per month to unemployed women. The AAP leaders started a registration drive for the scheme. Nonetheless, the next day, the government’s women and child development (WCD) department advertised that the Mahila Samman scheme was non-existent and urged residents not to share personal data.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi today slammed Larsen and Toubro chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s 90-hour work week demand, suggesting it reeks of wanting to be new age slave drivers.

Taking to social media platform X, the Shiv Sena MP said that besides being misogynistic, this statement reeks of wanting to be the new age slave drivers of India.

Recently, Larsen and Toubro chairman SN Subrahmanyan triggered an online outrage with his remark, asking people to work for 90 hours a week. In an undated video, L&T chief said that he regrets that he is not able to make employees work on Sundays. He added that if he can make employees work on Sundays, he will be happier, because he works on Sundays.

He further questioned what people do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the office and start working, he added.

Later, the company in a statement issued a clarification on Subrahmanyan’s remarks, describing it in the context of extraordinary efforts required for achieving extraordinary outcomes for the nation.

In a statement, the L&T spokesperson said that they believe this is India’s decade, and a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realise their shared vision of becoming a developed nation. The chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary effort, the statement continued.

Earlier, Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy, too, had a few months back advocated a 70-hour work week. He said that India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world, and requested that youngsters must say that it is their country, and they want to work 70 hours a week.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said on Friday that Congress bears the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the INDIA bloc, being the largest party within the Opposition alliance.

His remarks followed concerns raised by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who expressed disappointment over the uncertainty surrounding the leadership and objectives of the INDIA bloc, suggesting that the alliance should be dissolved if it was intended solely for the 2024 Parliamentary elections.

Raut emphasized that if the alliance members believe the INDIA bloc was established only for the Lok Sabha elections and no longer functions, the onus falls on Congress. He highlighted the absence of communication and dialogue among the coalition members, pointing out that although they collaborated successfully in the Lok Sabha elections, a subsequent meeting to strategize future plans has yet to occur, which he believes is the responsibility of Congress to initiate.

He noted that the lack of cooperation among partners in this anti-BJP coalition has created a perception of disarray, despite comprising more than twenty political parties. Raut stated, “There is no communication, dialogue, or discussion. This leads to ambiguity regarding the stability of the alliance.”

Furthermore, Raut warned that should the alliance, which was formed ahead of the 2024 elections, collapse, it would likely not be salvageable. He insisted that if the initiative was only for the Lok Sabha elections, then the INDIA bloc should officially declare its dissolution and allow each ally to proceed independently.

Stressing the need to rectify previous missteps, Raut cautioned against the dissolution of the opposition grouping, labeling it as a drastic measure. He also critiqued Congress’s central leadership for their lack of involvement during the Maharashtra Assembly elections last November, where the state unit engaged in contentious seat-sharing negotiations.

He explained that there were several Assembly constituencies where the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) had viable candidates, yet Congress refused to relinquish claims on those seats. Raut asserted that if Congress had demonstrated cooperative behavior instead of competitive ambitions, a more cohesive seat-sharing agreement could have been reached within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the coalition comprising the NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Congress, which performed poorly in the elections, securing only 46 seats in the 288-member assembly.

Raut further remarked on the lack of coordination not only within the national INDIA alliance but also among the MVA partners in Maharashtra. He clarified his position regarding the characterizations made by some Congress leaders about Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, asserting that he does not support such labels.

He predicted that neither Congress nor the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would win the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections on February 5, foreseeing a victory for the ruling AAP. Raut expressed regret that both Congress and AAP are contesting the elections separately, suggesting that collaboration would have been beneficial.

Highlighting internal tensions, Maharashtra Congress leader Nitin Raut stated that MVA allies were preoccupied with power disputes ahead of the elections, resulting in delayed seat-sharing agreements. He acknowledged a collective failure in organizational strategy following the Lok Sabha elections.

Supporting this view, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar expressed concerns about potential delays orchestrated during the seat-sharing discussions, noting the precious time lost that hindered effective campaigning. He criticized the lack of timely involvement from other leaders.

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad reiterated the need for improved coordination within the MVA and suggested that conversations should be held internally rather than in public forums. Raut added that Wadettiwar was integral to the seat-sharing negotiations and emphasized that Congress could have opted to relinquish certain seats where their allies had strong candidates.