With polling for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 round the corner, election campaigning has gained speed. National chairman of Disabled Helpline Foundation, Vikas Sharma on Monday appealed members of differently abled community to vote for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), averring that BJP is the only party which included their demands in party’s manifesto of 2014 general elections and also worked on them.
Addressing the media at the BJP state office, Sharma said that it was because of Modi government that the long pending proposal for the amendment of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act 2016 was passed. He said, “For a long time, during the term of the UPA government, we asked the then national president of Congress to pass the amendment in this act, but all she gave us was assurances and hollow promises. However, before 2014 general elections BJP took cognisance of our letters and included our demands in their manifesto. After that, on December 30, 2016, this act was passed, opening a new chapter in our lives. In reality, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paved the way for the disabled to become differently abled.”
He further added, “Earlier, participation of the differently abled persons in politics was low. In fact, communication with the main stream was also something which was way out of our comfort zone. Political parties used to ignore us in their manifestos, but now things are different. We have become more empowered under BJPs rule. Of course there are still things that are not proper, but now we know that only BJP will help us.”
Giving reasons as to why people should vote for BJP he said, “In the recent budget, the relaxation for differently abled from filing income tax has been extended. We don’t have to pay toll tax anywhere in the country. Even if someone among us wants to buy personal vehicle, we have been given relaxation in GST too. In Uttarakhand too, a state advisory board has been formed,” he added.