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The BJP responded to the Congress manifesto on Tuesday by asserting that the Congress has unveiled a “dangerous and unimplementable” agenda aimed at “Balkanisation” of India.
Addressing a press conference here, Finance Minister and senior party leader Arun Jaitley said the Congress does not deserve “even a single vote”, for its promises include abolition of sedition law, diluting the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and amending the Criminal Procedure Code for leniency in bail provisions to “criminals and terrorists”.
Jaitley dismissed the basic minimum income promise, saying it is vague on the provision of resources for such a scheme and alleged that the principal Opposition party’s farm loan waivers are a hoax because “not even tokenism has been done on farm loan waiver in the Congress-ruled five States”.
‘Divisive gang’
Jaitley alleged that though the Congress had set up a drafting committee, it appears that some important points related to Jammu and Kashmir were drafted by party chief Rahul Gandhi’s friends in Tukde Tukde (divisive) gang.
Later, in a blog titled: “The Congress Manifesto 2019 — A Charter to Weaken India”, Jaitley said his “worst fears have come true” about Congress’ “dangerous agenda” in the manifesto.
Calling it a “ Tukde-Tukde Manifesto”, Jaitley elaborated on why he considered the Congress manifesto an agenda for “Balkanisation of India”.
“It repeals Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code which defines and then punishes the person accused of sedition. Even for terrorists and hardcore criminals, it underlines the principle — “bail is the rule and jail is the exception.” It seeks to dilute the provisions of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). After having been spurned on various occasions to having a dialogue with the separatists, who want to settle for nothing other than cessation from India, it promised to have a continuous dialogue with them.” said Jaitley.
On Jammu & Kashmir
Accusing the Congress, especially the “Nehru-Gandhi family” of being the “principal creator of the Jammu and Kashmir” issue, Jaitley said: “It (Congress) created a special status; it unconstitutionally brought in Article 35-A. It rigged the 1957, 1962, 1967 and 1988 Assembly elections. This eroded the confidence of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and now its Manifesto only brings smiles on the faces of the separatists and the terrorists. A reference to “Kashmiri Pandits’ and their ethnic cleansing from the Valley is conspicuously absent in the Manifesto.”
Labelling the Congress’ basic minimum income scheme as “NYAY Bluff”, the Finance Minister said most economists have already rubbished this scheme.
“Between the Centre and the States, we are already giving to the poorest 20 per cent much more than what NYAY promises. As the economy expands to depleting poverty, amount can also be increased.” he said.
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