Congress manifesto promises legal guarantee to MSP
To fulfil a long-pending demand of farmers across the country, Congress has pledged to give a legal guarantee to Minimum Support Prices (MSP) if voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections.
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To fulfil a long-pending demand of farmers across the country, Congress has pledged to give a legal guarantee to Minimum Support Prices (MSP) if voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections.
The party will give a legal guarantee to MSP announced by the government every year as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.
Right to apprenticeship and passing a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs are among the key promises made by the Congress in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls released on Friday.
Titled Nyay Patra', the manifesto was released at the AICC headquarters in Delhi in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The document focused on five 'pillars of justice' and 25 guarantees under them.
The Grand Old Party promised to fill nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels in the central government. It also vowed to ensure 10 per cent quota in jobs and educational institutions for economically weaker sections (EWS) for all castes and communities without discrimination if it comes to power.
The Rajasthan model of cashless insurance of up to Rs 25 lakh will be adopted for universal healthcare, it said.
The Congress will pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBC if it comes to power in the general elections beginning April 19, the party promised.
The Congress also said it would conduct a nationwide socio-economic and caste census.
Appealing to people to look beyond religion, language and caste, and choose wisely to install a democratic government, the party said the general elections present an opportunity to radically the change style of governance that has been in evidence over past decade.
It said it guarantees a new 'right to apprenticeship act' to provide one-year apprenticeship to every diploma holder or graduate below age of 25.
Besides, it will launch an urban employment programme guaranteeing work for urban poor in reconstruction, renewal of urban infrastructure and Rs 400 minimum wage for every labourer.
The party said in the document that it would abolish the Agnipath programme and direct the armed forces to resume normal recruitment to achieve full sanctioned strength.
"We will immediately restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir," the party manifesto added.
Describing the Lok Sabha elections as "much closer contest than propagated by media", Rahul Gandhi said, "We are going to win polls."
He said a similar idea of 'India Shining' was being propagated now as was done in 2004. "Remember who won that election," he asked.
He also said that INDIA bloc has decided that it was fighting ideological election and added that decision on PM candidate will be taken after polls.
"It is a rigged match, not a fair one. It's important for people to understand it is an election to save democracy," Rahul Gandhi said.
This election is between those trying to destroy Constitution and democracy, and those trying to protect them, he added.
Congress president Kharge said while addressing the gathering, "I urge everyone to have a close look at our manifesto and you will see a 'shandaar tasveer' (beautiful picture) of our country in it."
"We will open the doors to the poor when we come to power....PM Modi is taking our people and claiming '400 Paar' MPs," he said. Only those who have done something and have fear are quitting the party to join the BJP, he said.
Kharge also wondered what kind of level playing field is there when the principal opposition party's accounts have been frozen.
