PM Modi and top BJP leaders released the party's manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls
The BJP released its much-awaited manifesto for the Lok Sabha election this morning, underlining Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on 'GYAN' - the poor, the youth, farmers and the women. With a bust of BR Ambedkar and the Constitution on stage, the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief JP Nadda released the party's manifesto at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.
The Prime Minister said the manifesto focus on four pillars of Viksit Bharat -- women power, youth power, farmers and the poor. He said it focuses on the "dignity of life" and the "quality of life", the quantity of opportunity as well as the quality of opportunity. The government will focus on taking piped gas to all homes and providing free electricity through solar power, the Prime Minister said.
The manifesto said the Centre's free ration scheme will be extended by 5 years. The government, it said, will focus on self-reliance in production of pulses, edible oils and vegetables to stabilise price and protect the poor's plates. Ayushman Bharat scheme and the PM Awas Yojana will be expanded and drinking water supply will be taken to every home, it said.
For the farmers, the BJP manifesto said it will continue to provide the annual assistance of Rs 6,000 and will strengthen the crop insurance scheme through use of technology. The document said the government will continue periodic hikes in Minimum Support Price for crops, set up new clusters for production of essentials and build more storage facilities.
Addressing the media, Mr Nadda gave a rundown of the BJP government's achievements over the past decade in power. He reiterated that 'Modi ki guarantee' -- the BJP's key poll slogan -- "is a guarantee that all guarantees will be fulfilled".
Referring to the Covid pandemic, the BJP chief said that while developed countries oscillated between prioritising economy and the health of its citizens, the Narendra Modi government's decisive steps helped India recover from the impact of Covid. He also said India came up with two vaccines and 220 crore doses within nine months and also helped reach the shots to other countries.
Next to speak was Defence Minister Singh, who is also the chairman of the 27-member committee that had prepared the manifesto.
Mr Singh said the BJP's pledges made ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls had been fulfilled. "What we say, we do," he said, listing the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the passage of the women reservation Bill and the Ayodhya Ram Temple's construction as its key achievements.
Mr Singh said the BJP's manifesto has been prepared on the basis of 15 lakh suggestions from across the country and presents a roadmap for Viksit Bharat while focusing on social justice. "Modi's guarantee is considered 24 karat gold, so our manifesto is the gold standard of manifesto for parties across the world," he said.
The BJP had also invited several beneficiaries of the Centre's welfare schemes and felicitated them.
In a sharp response to the BJP's manifesto, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said it should be called a 'Sankalp Patra' but a maafinama -- an apology. "In 2014, they said they will constitute a taskforce to bring black money back, but what they brought is electoral bond. Instead of the government making Smart Cities, China is making smart cities inside our boundaries," he said.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the BJP's policy is to lie so loudly that people believe it to be the truth. She said the BJP's manifesto does not even mention the ethnic violence in Manipur and the protests in Ladakh.