Metro India News | AMARAVATI

BC Welfare Minister S. Savitha has thrown a political gauntlet at former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, daring him to resign as Pulivendula MLA if his party fails to prove alleged misappropriation in the Talli Ki Vandanam scheme. Addressing media at the TDP central office, Savitha declared she would resign if even a rupee was misused but asked, “Will Jagan resign if his charges are proven false?”

She firmly denied the YSRCP’s claim that Rs 2,000 from the scheme was diverted to Minister Nara Lokesh’s account, clarifying that Rs 15,000 is granted per child — Rs 13,000 directly to mothers and Rs 2,000 to schools for development. So far, Rs 8,745 crore has been credited to mothers of over 67.27 lakh students across Andhra Pradesh, ensuring full transparency and wide beneficiary reach.

Savitha contrasted this with the YSRCP’s Amma Vodi, which she said was deceitfully limited to one child per family despite pre-election promises. “Jagan called himself a 'mama' to every girl but became a 'Kamsa mama' once in power,” she said.

In 2022–23, the YSRCP extended benefits to only 42.61 lakh students, spending Rs 5,500 crore — far below the current government’s allocation. She accused the opposition of spreading baseless allegations after losing public trust and failing to retain even opposition status in the Assembly.