New Delhi: The Congress manifesto says the choice before the people is crystal clear in this Lok Sabha elections that are crucial to India’s future and their children’s future.
It asks these questions on the choices the voters will have to make while casting their votes:
“Do we choose freedom or fear?
Do we choose harmony or hatred?
Do we choose inclusion or exclusion?
Do we choose dignity or oppression?
Do we choose prosperity for all or wealth for a few?
Do we choose results or jumlas?
Do we choose justice or injustice?”
“Our allies and other progressive political parties across the country recognise the importance of this moment. We have, therefore, come together to defeat the BJP-led coalition and set out nation on the right course… Our record speaks for itself. We have delivered prosperity for the people of India before. We will do it again,” the manifesto said.
In its manifesto, the Congress is quite clear to get investigated several deals entered by the BJP government in the last five years and, in particular, the Rafale deal, and enforce anti-corruption laws without discrimination. It will also investigate the circumstances under which a number of scamsters were allowed to leave the country and take determined steps to bring them back to face legal proceedings, the manifesto said.
The manifesto wants the citizens to form civil society organisations, promising to create an institutional framework under which the central and state governments may consult such organisations on formulating policies, implementing programmes and obtaining feedback on the outcomes.
“Congress affirms its believe that civil society organisations and groups are an important pillar of parliamentary democracy and we will engage with civil society activists and organisations and draw on their experience and knowledge.” Whether it succeeds or not in the Supreme Court in a joint PIL filed with 20 other parties for matching at least 50% of EVMs with the voting slips of VVPATs, it will enforce it on coming to power.
Scrapping the electoral bond scheme that was designed to favour the ruling party and setting up a national election fund to raise money to be allocated to the recognised parties at the time of the elections are the two other promises on the electoral reforms.
Though Rahul Gandhi put NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) at the top of five big ideas in the manifesto, it finds place in the document only at item no. 9 as the top position goes to Kaam or Employment and growth because of which item No 1 is jobs, followed by industry, infrastructure, urban development, rural development, unorganised sector, agriculture and farmers and economic policy.
The item getting priority immediately after NYAY is taxation and tax reforms that promises to end the tax terrorism unleashed by the BJP government, enact the Direct Taxes Code (DTC), easy compliance and impartial administration in income tax.
Abolition of the e-way bill, no GST liability on the purchase from unregistered businesses that supply goods and services and simple return forms are other promises. It also promises to put both GST and income tax or DTC as essentially civil laws attracting civil penalties for violations except in the cases of criminal conspiracy, corruption or fraud.
Other promises
Small banks at state level to provide credit to MSMEs and reducing the public sector banks to only six to eight
To increase the defence funding to meet the requirements of the armed forces
To provide a statutory basis to the NSA and the National Security Council (NSC) and make both authorities and the agencies under them accountable to Parliament.
To take the foreign policy a step further by setting up a national Council on Foreign Policy
Compensation to the families of Armed Forces martyrs, funding children’s education and a govt job for a member
of the family
To remove the anomalies left by Modi govt in OROP (one
rank, one pension)
