Days before India votes in the first phase of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress released its manifesto. Party President Rahul Gandhi laid out the 15 main ‘themes’ in the document, placing special emphasis on ‘NYAY’, or the minimum income guarantee promise.
The document named- ‘Congress will deliver’ was released by Congress President Rahul Gandhi in the presence of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Gandhi promised 22 lakh government jobs by March 2020 and initiating the practice of a separate farm budget. The party also vowed to increase the budgetary allocation for education and strengthening the public healthcare system while criticizing the NDA’s Ayushman Bharat scheme for ‘profiting private insurance firms’.
Focus on Job, Kisan Budget to be a new thing
Linked to this, the manifesto’s second promise is ‘Jobs Revolution’. Quite clearly, this is a priority issue in these elections. Congress’ attempt to tap into the quantum of disaffection about the Narendra Modi government’s perceived failure in this front is reflected in the offer to ‘ensure 34 lakh jobs in the public sector’.
Cong manifesto plans to do this by filling all ‘4 lakh central government vacancies before March 2020’, ‘persuading’ state governments to fill their ‘20 lakh vacancies’ and creating 10 lakh jobs for ‘Seva Mitras’ – by which one presumes facilitators at the Seva Kendras at village panchayat and Panchayat Samiti level.
Further, Rahul Gandhi announced that there will be a separate budget for Kisan of India so that they can know what the government has for them.
Finance Minister Jaitley calls it “dangerous”, here’s why-
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday attacked the Congress party and its manifesto released earlier in the day, claiming that Rahul Gandhi’s friends in the “tukde-tukde gang” had drafted parts of it. “Some of the ideas are positively dangerous in the Congress manifesto,” said Jaitley. “They are for an agenda for the vulcanization of India.”
A loop point appeared in Congress’ manifesto is- Rahul Gandhi said- If Congress comes to power, they would review the deployment of armed forces and Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts (AFSPA). It has also promised to appoint three Interlocutors. Should it be called a security concern for the country?
