Samajwadi Party president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav went all out to woo Muslims, whose support is crucial to party’s aim to sweep elections in this crucial state that goes to polls in five-phased lok Sabha elections commencing next week.
With elections commencing on April 10, Mulayam has left no stone unturned in his party manifesto to tap the state’s crucial 18 percent Muslim vote. Samajwadi Party also promised to set up a commission for poor among the upper caste and promised to provide free education at all level and raise the retirement age of the government employees, judges, court employees, teachers to 65 years in the country if voted to power.
The 24-page manifesto, which was released in party headquarters, talks about Sarv Samaj and party’s commitment to implement Sachchar commission report. At least two full pages document in Hindi were devoted to highlighting either claims of the Akhilesh Yadav government about having done various things for Muslims or towards future promises being made for them.
The party also announced that urdu median schools will be opened in the Muslim dominated area, free coaching to Muslim student and 15 per cent jobs would be reserved for Muslims in police. Besides, false cases against Muslim youths would be withdrawn, the manifesto said.
The chairman, Rashtriya Ulema council Maulana Amir Rashadi had described Mulayam Singh yadav as anti-Muslim and has decided to contest against him. Probably this allegation has forced Samajwadi Party to concentrate on Muslim.
“We are focusing on the development of agriculture sector and work out plans to improve farmers’ economic conditions. The Bhoomi Sena Yojana which is a hit in Uttar Pradesh will be replicated at the national level. The Samajwadi Party is of the view that prices of food grains should be fixed at one and a half time of the cost price of the product,” Yadav said.
About international relations he said that India has lost all its friends due to the wrong international policy of the present government. China and other countries are ahead of India just because they focus on agriculture sector,’’ he said.
“The Samajwadi Party will harp on dialogue to solve internal problems. Dialogue and political will to solve problems are the only way to bring the intransigent group back to main stream,” he said.
Mulayam promised ‘free medicines and free treatment to the poor in all government hospitals at the district level’ as also ‘free education right up to the graduation level in all government educational institutions’.
He also promised to extend the government scheme for providing free shelter to all economically weaker sections in the rural areas. So far the facility was available only to Dalits. Claiming that his government had succeeded in bringing in investments of about Rs 5000 crores in the sugar industry sector, Mulayam assured enhanced industrial growth in various other sectors too. Yadav also said the party would totally ban Forward Trading and control inflation at all levels,generation of more employement opportunity by setting up small and big industries.
SP general secretary Prof Ram Gopal Yadav, who was also present at the manifesto release function, claimed that education will be made totally free in the country if the non-Congress, non-BJP Government comes to power. Other senior leaders of the party including Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and a few of his cabinet colleagues were present during the function.