Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar and senior party leader Siddaramaiah releases the party's manifesto for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, in Bengaluru.(Image: PTI)
Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections, scheduled for May 10, the state Congress released its manifesto. The manifesto for 2023, includes promises like scrapping the National Education Policy from the State, banning organisations like Bajrang Dal and comparing them with the PFI (Popular Front of India), a terror outfit.
The Congress manifesto comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released theirs. The manifesto was drafted by former Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Dr G Parameshwara and his team. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar and senior leader Siddaramaiah were among the leaders who released the manifesto.
The sixty-two-page manifesto includes many promises and freebies, the key ones include Gruha Jyothi, where each family will be provided 200 units of free electricity. Then comes Gruha Lakshmi as per which Rs 2000 will be given every month to the female head of the family. The third freebie offers free grains to BPL families every month under the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme and finally, Rs 3000 will be provided to the unemployed graduates and Rs 1500 to diploma holders of the state for the next two years. The manifesto also announces free travel to all women in the state-owned public transport.
Apart from these promises, the manifesto compares the Hindu social organisation Bajrang Dal, which comprises the youth of the country and is a part of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) with the terrorist organisation PFI.
According to the party, “law and Constitution is sacrosanct and can not be violated by individuals and organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on any such organisations”.
The manifesto reads, “Will repeal all the unjust laws and anti-people laws passed by the BJP government within one year of coming to power”. Apart from this party promised to reject the National Education Policy from the state Education Policy.
The party said, “The BJP government has distorted the textbooks by insulting the great souls of Karnataka like Vishwa Guru Basavanna, Rashtrakavi Kuvempu. The Congress will restore the true values of Bharath and Karnataka.”
Notably, this is not the first time that the Karnataka state leadership has called for banning the Bajrang Dal and compared it with PFI. In August 2016, the then Congress state president Dinesh Gundu Rao said he wants to ban the Bajrang Dal for its cow vigilantism and cultural policing.
He said, “Bajrang Dal historically has involved itself in activities that disturb people, creates fear among them. They rush into situations and take advantage, assault people in the name of culture and in the name of Hinduism, Hindutva. These anti-social elements use the name of Bajrang Dal for extortion, blackmail, they threaten people using slogans like Gau Raksha. They run an extortion racket in many places. They must be banned.”
All these people (Gau Rakshaks) are associated with the Sangh Parivar, Bajrang Dal is associated with the Sangh Parivar”, he added.
About increasing the reservation from 50 to 75 percent, the party claims, “To increase the ceiling and reservation from 50 percent to 75 percent to accomodate the hopes and aspirations of SC/ST/OBC/Minority and other communities like Lingayat and Vokkliggas. The Congress party committed to increase reservation for SC’s from 15 to 17 percent, for ST’s from 3 to 7 percent and for restore Minority reservation of 4 percent and increase the reservation of Lingayat and other communities.”
The please the minority community, the congress has a special announcement in the manifesto, the party says, “BJP is involved in minority bashing for political polarisation to grab power. However, the Congress party is committed for their welfare. There will be allocation of funds for minority welfare, Muslims, Christians, Jain’s and Buddhists, as the fund will increase to 10 thousand crores. There will be special loan facility for the minority women to start their business.”
The other poll promises by the grand old party include “to abolish corruption in public works and to create a transparent tender system in PWD, rural development, irrigation, urban development and power sector by enacting a special law to punish the perpetrators of corruption”.
Responding to the Congress manifesto, the Joint General Secretary, VHP Surendra Jain said, “Congress comparing organisation that is dedicated to serving the people of the country with a terrorist organisation like PFI is highly condemnable. The Congress has always joined hands with the PFI and that is why the existence of Bajrang Dal hurts them. We have raised our voices against the ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ gangs and that is why they are calling for a ban on us.”
“I would like to tell Madam Sonia Gandhi that, she cannot fool the people of this country by her shallow move. The same Congress which once protested the ban against terrorist organisation SIMI, is calling for a ban on Bajrang Dal, such a shame it is”, added Jain.
The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also responded to the Congress manifesto and said, “PFI is already banned. Siddaramaiah government withdrew cases of PFI. So, they are saying that to appease Muslims, they will ban Bajrang Dal. Congress is saying that PFI can’t say that we will take revenge. Congress’ manifesto looks like the manifesto of PFI and fundamentalist Muslim organizations.”
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