India elections 2019: BJP promises temple, uniform civil code, farmer sops in manifesto

The party said it was committed to building a grand temple for Hindu god Rama "as soon as possible in a harmonious way" and pass a citizenship bill that would grant Indian nationality to Hindus from neighbouring countries.

The conflict over whether a temple or a mosque should be constructed in the holy city of Ayodhya is a major flashpoint between Hindus and India's sizeable Muslim minority.

Under fire from the opposition Congress party for not doing enough for India's struggling farmers, the party said it would infuse more than $300 billion for rural development.

It would also extend an annual handout of 6,000 rupees ($86) and introduced a pension scheme for small and marginal farmers.

"Nationalism is our inspiration ... good governance is our mantra," Modi, 68, said at the launch.

"It (the manifesto) is multi-layered and multi-dimensional because our society is very diverse. We can't have a one-size-fits-all kind of policy. It addresses the needs of all sections of society."

The party also said it would scrap a historic law providing special rights to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, a move that is likely to spike tension in the tinderbox state.

The BJP manifesto comes on the heels of a similar document released by Congress last week which promised to "create wealth and guarantee welfare" to India's 1.3 billion people.

Congress had announced 72,000 rupees ($1,045) each to India's poorest 250 million families.

Recent opinion polls, although notoriously unreliable, suggest Congress is trailing BJP ahead of India's mega-election running from April 11 to May 19.

The BJP, which decimated Congress as it swept to power in 2014, has been riding a nationalistic wave, vowing to protect the country against Pakistan-backed "terrorism".

In February, India and Pakistan faced off in their worst confrontation in years over Kashmir, conducting tit-for-tat airstrikes.

"This manifesto has been prepared with strong nationalist vision ... it is rooted in India's realities," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Critics say Modi has failed to create jobs and revive the rural economy. He is also accused of tarnishing India's credentials as a tolerant, secular country and imposing "Hindutva" or the hegemony of Hindus on its teeming millions.

Major promises in BJP's 'Sankalpit Bhatar Sashakt Bharat'

■ Full commitment to national security

■ Zero tolerance to terrorism

■ Commitment to implement Uniform Civil Code

■ Stop illegal migration fully

■ Committed to citizenship amendment bill but ensure identity of states not affected

■ Explore all possibilities for building grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya

For Farmers:

■ Double farmers income by 2022

■ Zero interest for 5 years on loans through (kisan) credit card of up to Rs 100,000

■ Spending Rs 25 lakh crore in rural areas in five years

■ PM-KISAN to be extended to all farmers

■ Pension to small and marginal farmers to ensure social security after 60 years of age.

■ Effort to complete all pending irrigation schemes by 2022

Other promises:

■ Set up Rashtriya Vyapar Aayog

■ Take forward the idea of simultaneous elections

■ 100 per cent electrification of all households

■ LPG cylinders to all poor

■ Increase seats in top law, engineering colleges

■ Toilet, drinking water in every home

■ 100 per cent waste management

■ 75 new medical colleges, post graduate institutes

■ 1.5 lakh wellness centres under Ayushman Bharat

■ Clean Ganga by 2022

■ Rs 100 lakh crore to be spent on infrastructure in five years

33% reservation for women in parliament

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party promised on Monday to reserve 33 per cent of seats in the Indian parliament and state assemblies for women if it returns to power in an election due to begin on Thursday.

"Women's welfare and development will be accorded a high priority at all levels within the government, and the BJP is committed to 33 per cent reservation in parliament and state assemblies through a constitutional amendment," the manifesto said.

The party also pledged to simplify the goods and services tax (GST), which disrupted businesses and hurt economic growth when it was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in 2017.

'Not prepared by 'tukde tukde' mindset'

BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Monday said the BJP's manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections beginning this week has not been prepared with a 'tukde tukde' (bits and pieces) mindset but with a strong nationalist vision. The document, 'Sankalp Patra' (document of resolve), is rooted in reality, Jaitley said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the manifesto.

"Our new policy, new doctrine of striking terror in its origin has received global recognition," Jaitley told the gathering.

The Union finance minister said the party was committed to annulling Article 35 A of the Constitution, which provides special rights and privileges to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The provision is discriminatory against non-permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

When India is at the cusp of history making most of all its lost opportunities, does it require a fragile government or a decisive one, he asked.

Jaitley added that previous governments only gave slogans, but the Modi-led administration gave resources to the poor.

He said the essence of the BJP manifesto is to deplete poverty over the next five years to single digit and then gradually eliminate it.

"Our fiscal prudence since 1947 has been best ever for any government," the finance minister said.

(With inputs from Reuters, IANS, Bloomberg)

What the social media said about BJP manifesto

By Huda Tabrez, Community Web Editor 

As soon as the manifesto, titled Sankalp Patra [resolution letter] was released, #BJPManifesto, #BJPSankalpPatr2019 and Sankalp Patra became the top trending topics on Twitter in India. However, #BJPJumlaManifesto was also one of the trends, which social media users used to question some of the promises that were being made.

While many journalists and politicians predictably tweeted about the manifesto, social media users, too, jumped in providing snippets of some of the promises and sharing their positive or negative reactions.

The positive

Tweep @swarnim_singh, summed up the key features of the manifesto in 10 points, highlighting the pledges that he found most notable including Uniform Civil Code and construction of the Ram Temple.

Tweep @TalkFactual wrote: “As expected satisfying BJP manifesto. National security & uniform civil code given priority in the sankalp patra. Key points like pension for 60+ shopkeepers, PM kisan for all farmers, pension for 60+ labours etc need to be conveyed on the ground.”

Another user, @vastalitech tweeted: “Uniform Civil Code should [be] natural to a ‘secular’ constitution and here we have been fighting for it for decades!”

Tweep @Kuneeba wrote: “Every vote counts to make India truly 1 nation, remove article 370, 35A & implement Uniform Civil Code #ModiFor2019.”

@indiantweeter summed up the manifesto, tweeting: “My takeaways from BJP manifesto - 100 lakh crore investment in infrastructure, housing for all till 2022, a govt constituted national trader's body to look into demands of the trader community, Jal Shakti [Hydro power] mission to provide drinkable water to every household.”

Journalist @TheJaggi tweeted: “The good thing about BJP manifesto is that it has nothing that is a game-changer. It makes no unrealistic promises beyond what may be deliverable.”

The negative

Many social media users, however, pointed out that a uniform civil code has been a part of BJP’s poll promises for many years. Tweep @NihaMasih added: “Long term planks of Ram Mandir and Uniform Civil Code relegated to page 36 (out of 45 pages) #BJPManifesto”

Users also commented on Amit Shah’s comment that the party would make India the third largest economy in the world.

Tweep @ashoswai noted: “India has been already the world's third-largest economy in PPP [Purchasing Power Parity] terms when someone called Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister!”

Twitter user @IchbinUjjaini questioned why instead of providing a report card of the past five years, the party was releasing another set of promises. She tweeted: “Only two days before you have been able to collect a bunch of empty promises, congratulations. But people would also like to see your report card of 2014? Where is development? Now you are bunking on hyper nationalism to get votes. Your party failed every Indian miserably.”

Calling it a pack of lies, India’s Congress Party said that the manifesto did not mention demonetisation or job creation. However, many social media users questioned the Congress’s forever-promise of ‘ghareebi hatao’ [remove poverty] calling it the equivalent of the Ram Temple promise that the BJP has been making.

Tweep @SarcasticRofl wrote: “For #BJPManifesto Ram Mandir is Header & Uniform Civil Code is footer, keep repeating on every page, every year without fail since 1980.”

Accountability

Tweep @JaiveerShergill felt that the party had to address some of the issues that had affected the country under its rule: “Instead of launching a Manifesto “Sankalp Patr” #BJP should issue an Apology Letter “Maafi Patr” for their sins and misdeeds leading to 45-year-high unemployment, brutal death of economy, high security forces casualty, 44%+ rise in farmer suicides #BJPJumlaManifesto”

Another Twitter user @sanjukta commented on a long-standing criticism that people had that the Prime Minister had not held a press conference in India during his tenure. She tweeted: “So there is a stage in which Modi is sitting. In front of the stage there are rows and rows filled with media people. Here's a crazy idea, why not ask some questions to Modi? #BJPJumlaManifesto #BJPManifesto.”

https://twitter.com/ahasyagar/status/1115146311446085634?s=20