All set to woo Punjab’s scheduled caste community that constitutes around 32 per cent of the state’s population, the Aam Aadmi Party would release its ‘dalit manifesto’ in the poll-bound state this week.
During his 11-day Punjab visit starting Sunday, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal will release the first-of-its-kind document, targeting a specific community and detailing its “systemic oppression”.
The manifesto was formulated by the party’s Punjab Dialogue team which held a series of ‘Dalit Dialogue’ across the state that began in August.
“Around 10-12 dialogues have been organised in Dalit-majority areas of the state. Essentially members of the community came and freely exchanged views and gave suggestions to be included in the document,” said AAP’s national organisation-building head Durgesh Pathak.
He said that its launch will be the highlight of Kejriwal’s tour, where he will address 21 rallies.
During the open sessions, members of the Dalit community were also given a form where they could put in their feedback and recommendations which have been factored in while drafting it, Pathak said.
The issue of demonetisation is also expected to prominently feature in the rallies that the AAP chief is scheduled to address.
AAP is locked in a triangular contest with the Congress and incumbent BJP-SAD alliance in the state which goes to polls early next year.
The party had targeted the BJP and dubbed it “anti-Dalit”, using the assault against few youth by alleged cow vigilantes in Gujarat’s Una as a pivot. Kejriwal has visited Gujarat multiple times in the recent months.
As per 2011 Census, Punjab’s over 88 lakh SC population accounts for nearly 32 per cent of the total population of the state, the highest percentage among all the states.