Trashing the BJP manifesto as a cruel joke on the people of India, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday said that the people of India, after their futile wait for the past five years for the fulfilment of the party’s earlier promises, were once again left high and dry by the self-seeking ruling party.
Terming the BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ as a bundle of lies, Capt said BJP’s attempt to again befool people would backfire in these elections as the party, having failed to deliver on any of its earlier promises, had chosen to set aside the key issues of concern to the masses.
“BJP manifesto does not talk of jobs, nor does it explain the absence of the earlier promised Rs 15 lakh to every citizen,” pointed out the Chief Minister, adding that the ruling party had, through this thoughtless document, exposed its total lack of concern for the welfare of the people.
“It is nothing but another long list of jumlas from the ‘jumla sarkar’ of Narendra Modi,” said Capt Amarinder, adding that there was nothing in the manifesto for the upliftment of any section of the society.
Even though farmers continue to commit suicide, the BJP has not deemed it fit to announce the much-needed national debt waiver scheme for them, said Capt Amarinder, pointing out that even the promise of doubling of farmers’ income was an old one.
“What is more, the promise of extension of PM KISAN scheme is clearly prompted by the Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s announcement of NYAY scheme, showing the desperation of the BJP in the face of their imminent defeat in these parliamentary elections,” he added.
Instead of waiving off farmers’ loans to rescue them from their unmanageable debt burdens, the BJP was promising more loans in the shape of new agriculture credit-card loans, the Chief Minister noted. It was obvious, he said, that the BJP was not interesting in providing relief to the farmers but wanted them to remain at the bottom of the economic pyramid while a handful of industrialists continue to prosper.
He said that the party manifesto’s attempt to exploit the accomplishments of the armed forces for political gains was shameful and condemnable.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar dubbed the manifesto as “nothing than the Jumla part –II of saffron party”. “This is not a commitment of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah led party but actually it is their one more attempt to mislead and cheat the voters of country,” he said.
“BJP formed a government in 2014, with same type of promises but the Narendra Modi-led Government failed to fulfil its promises during its five-year tenure, and now the BJP has promised again on the same line but now the countrymen are well conscious to false promises made by BJP leadership,” he said.
He said Modi Government put huge burden on farmer by imposing GST on agriculture inputs while failing to procure crops at MSP which was declared by the same BJP Government. Terming the promise of boosting export of agricultural produce and commodities as a bunch of lies, he asked the BJP leaders to explain what the Union Government did to enhance the basmati export from Punjab.
“Mere lip service is not enough but delivery of promises is also required, but BJP government totally failed to fulfil its poll promises made by it in 2014. There should be an ambition, policy and will of fulfilling promises, but BJP leaders are lacking same,” he said.