Asking party workers to reach out to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that the government will soon launch 'Stand Up India' scheme to provide loans of up to Rs 1 crore to help members of these communities become big entrepreneurs.
"In the next few days under Stand Up India scheme, every bank branch will provide loans of up to Rs 1 crore to one SC/ST and one woman, to enable them to set up big industries and turn into big entrepreneurs," he said addressing partymen at the executive committee meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party's Delhi unit.
He said though the BJP lost assembly election in Delhi, the party should try and strengthen its base by reaching out more to different sections like SCs/STs and women due to the disillusionment caused by both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party.
"There is need to reach out more to SCs/STs and women and take the schemes of the government forward. Mudra Bank is benefiting lakhs and crores of minorities, SCs/STs and women and there is need for you to reach out to them and strengthen your base among them," he said, asking BJP's Delhi unit to gain more political space by strengthening base among weaker sections.
Jaitley said that it was their duty to bring together people who were benefited by various schemes launched by the NDA government, be it Mudra bank, Jan Dhan Yojna and other such social security measures.
"We lost election, but not our vigour. In Delhi, the ground is open as the Congress has lost its vigour. It is losing its political space," he said, adding that there is disillusionment with the AAP government too "as the politics of theatrics can be done only in limits".
He said that the Delhi unit has a responsibility to carry forward the national debates on key issues like nationalism by forming a group of 30 to 40 people.
The finance minister said this will also help bring in new leaders and connect with various sections of society.
"Take the schemes of the Narendra Modi government forward among the people in Delhi. Reach out to every section of society in Delhi.
"Your ability to throw up leaders, you have a natural forum and use it fully. There is no section in society which has less support for the BJP. If there is less support base among minorities, try and increase it by reaching out more to them. Try and bring in new leaders from among the minorities. This will help bring in new leadership, in civic polls and assembly polls like we have many women," he said.
Attacking the AAP government, he said, "When questions are raised, then only to say that we fought so many battles but could not do any work. All sections start dissociating one after the other and it is difficult to regain their support. The Congress is not in a position to gain and that is why that space is available to the BJP in Delhi."
