POLL-SNIPPETS: TMC manifesto promises several welfare measures, repeal of CAA
The TMC on Wednesday released its Lok Sabha poll manifesto promising several social welfare measures and repeal of the CAA if the opposition INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre
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The TMC on Wednesday released its Lok Sabha poll manifesto promising several social welfare measures and repeal of the CAA if the opposition INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre.
Releasing the manifesto at the party headquarters in Kolkata, TMC's Rajya Sabha party leader Derek O' Brien said, "These are the promises which we will fulfill as part of INDIA bloc, when it forms the next government."
"We promise to control petrol and diesel prices through the formulation of a price stabilisation fund. We also promise to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and stop the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in the country," senior TMC leader Amit Mitra said.
The party also promised to provide ration at doorstep and 10 free cooking cylinders for BPL families.
The TMC had walked out of the INDIA bloc in January over disagreements regarding seat-sharing with the Congress in Bengal. However, the Mamata Banerjee-led party had said it continues to be part of the INDIA bloc at the national level.
Cong adopted 'loot' east policy, BJP turned it into 'Act East' policy: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed the Congress, saying the party had adopted the 'loot' east policy while the BJP had turned it into the 'Act East' policy.
Addressing a rally in Agartala, the Prime Minister said Tripura has witnessed pioneering transformations under the BJP government. Modi said the birth celebrations of Lord Ram is being held in his own temple in Ayodhya after 500 years.
"The Congress had adopted the 'loot' east policy while the BJP has turned it into the Act East policy," Modi told an election rally in the Tripura capital.
Modi said his government has decided to construct three crore new houses in India for the poor. "Tripura's people are going to benefit a great deal from it," he added.
"After a long wait of 500 years, Ram Lalla is finally in a grand temple in Ayodhya instead of a tent," he said, and added that his government is now focusing on enhancing connectivity in the Northeast.
Modi said Rs 3,000 crore will be spent for the facelift of highways in the state.
Taking a dig at the Congress and the CPI(M), the PM said, "The Congress Yuvraj, who is critical over the use of investigative agencies, is now demanding the arrest of Kerala Chief Minister on corruption charges. No corrupt person will be spared," he said.
Rajnath Singh seeks Cong stand on CPI(M) manifesto promise
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Wednesday questioned the intention behind the CPI(M)'s poll manifesto promise to dismantle nuclear weapons in the country and demanded to know the stand of the Congress on this issue. Singh alleged talk of dismantling India's nuclear weapons amounted to playing with national security and that there was a "deep-rooted conspiracy to weaken the country".
He accused the Left and the Congress, both allies in the anti-BJP INDIA bloc, of apparently trying to weaken the country.
Speaking at a public meeting in Kasaragod Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, Singh demanded that the Congress should clarify its stand on the CPI(M)'s promise in the manifesto to dismantle nuclear weapons as it was the Indira Gandhi government which kicked off the country's nuclear programme in 1974.
He said India worked hard to become one of the 11 nuclear power nations in the world and dismantling its nuclear weapons will weaken the country whose neighbours Pakistan and China are nuclear powers. The CPI(M) in its manifesto has said there will be "complete elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological weapons."
During his speech, he also said whoever in India has opposed Lord Ram has faced downfall, which is what has happened to the Congress and CPI(M) and alleged that both the parties, which are allies in the INDIA bloc, do not understand the importance of Lord Ram or the festival of Ram Navami.
The BJP leader also reached out to rubber farmers and the Christian community in the state and said the UDF and LDF will not do anything to resolve the problems being faced by rubber farmers in the state. "Only the BJP will be able to help the rubber farmers," he said.
The BJP leader urged the people of Kerala to oust the UDF and LDF from the state if they wanted the situation to improve. He alleged both fronts show a "dual character" of fighting with each other in Kerala, but outside it they are campaigning together.
LS polls, a fight between two ideologies: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday termed the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as a battle between two ideologies -- INDIA bloc "fighting for the Constitution" on one hand and BJP, which wants to "abolish constitution and democracy", on the other.
He said if the INDIA bloc is voted to power, it will be a "government of ordinary citizens, farmers, labourers and traders", while highlighting his party's manifesto for the polls. This is the fight between two ideologies. There is Congress and INDIA bloc on one hand, which fought for the Constitution, gave Constitution and democracy to the country. On the other hand there is BJP, which wants to abolish the Constitution and democracy and is placing their people in all the institutions, Gandhi said, addressing an election rally in
Mandya (Karnataka).
While the BJP-government "belonged to 22 to 25 rich people", Congress will give a government which will work for the ordinary citizens, farmers, labourers and traders, he said. This is his first visit to the Congress-governed Karnataka after the election schedule was announced a month ago.
In Mandya, the Congress is facing JD(S) which is BJP's alliance partner. There is a direct contest between JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and Congress' Venkataramane Gowda, popularly known as 'Star Chandru'.
Lok Sabha polls: AAP launches 'AAP Ka RamRajya' website
AAP on Wednesday launched its "AAP Ka RamRajya" website for the Lok Sabha polls campaign to showcase the party's concept of "Ram Rajya", saying Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tried to realise the ideals of Lord Ram in the national capital.
The launch of the website -- aapkaramrajya.com -- came ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the first phase of which will be held on Friday, and coincided with the Ram Navami festival being celebrated in several parts of the country.
During a joint press conference, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the website will showcase AAP's concept of "Ram Rajya" as well as the work done by the party's governments.
"Chief Minister Kejriwal accomplished wonderful things -- good schools, mohalla clinics, free water and electricity and free bus rides for women -- in the last 10 years for realising 'Ram Rajya'," Singh said.
This is the first time that Kejriwal is not among his people on Ram Navami, Singh said and alleged that the Delhi chief minister was sent to jail in a "baseless" case on the basis of statements from "false" witnesses.
The world is learning from the work being done by Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP government, he claimed.
BJP wants to take away right to vote: Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday claimed that the BJP has given the '400 par' slogan for the Lok Sabha polls as they want to "change" the Constitution of the country and "take away" the right to vote from people.
Addressing an election rally in Moradabad (UP), the SP candidate from Moradabad, Yadav said, "If the government works as per the Constitution, no prejudice can be done against any community or group. But ever since the BJP has come to power, the government has not done justice with people."
Yadav recalled the protest by farmers against the now-repealed farm laws and said, "The government has taken back the farm laws. But the way BJP leaders are using the '400 par' slogan...if they come to power, it is possible that they will change the Constitution. They can even snatch our right to vote."
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also attacked the BJP-led Centre over demonetisation and electoral bonds.
