New Delhi: The BJP on Friday dubbed the Congress’ Lok Sabha polls manifesto a “bundle of lies” and alleged that the party, which ruled the country for several decades, did not fulfil any of the promises made in its earlier manifestos for the assembly and parliamentary elections.
The Congress on Friday released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, making a host of promises, including the right to apprenticeship, a legal guarantee for MSP and raising the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs.
The BJP said that the Congress has come with such a poll manifesto to create confusion and mislead voters.
“The Congress manifesto is a bundle of lies. It has been prepared to create confusion among voters,” BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told reporters at the party headquarters here.
The BJP leader said it was an irony that the Congress was seeking people’s mandate with the promise that it will “do wonders” this time if voted to power again.
“After remaining at helm for several decades, they are now promising that they will do wonders this time if voted to power. The Congress has titled its manifesto ‘nyay patra’, which means it admits that it has done ‘anyay’ (injustice) during its 55-60 years rule in the country,” he charged.
Trivedi said the Congress, which ruled the country for several decades, is talking about ‘nyay’ (justice) today, but its governments did not do justice when in power.
“The Congress did not fulfil any of its promises made in its earlier manifestos for the assembly and Lok Sabha elections,” he charged.
Describing the opposition party’s poll promises as “lies”, the BJP leader said that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has promised to roll out a scheme to provide Rs 1 lakh to every woman every year, whereas none of the Congress-ruled states implemented Rahul Gandhi’s earlier promise of Rs 76,000 to people every year.
“Which are the Congress-ruled states where Rahul Gandhi’s promise of giving Rs 76,000 to people has been implemented?” he asked.
He alleged that the Congress, when in power, had not done justice with India’s youth and to the country’s economy, industry, military and security.
“Those who did not do justice to India’s cultural pride, social harmony and capacity have reappeared in disguise and are promising to do justice today,” he charged.
The BJP leader also raised questions on the Congress’ foreign policies and said during its regime in the past, some parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Bengal went under the occupation of neighbouring countries while the “high mountain of Mansarovar” under China’s control.
“Our Army used to return winning the war and the erstwhile governments (of Congress) used to leave, getting everything looted at the political table,” he charged.
Trivedi alleged that the Congress remained successful in “misleading” people in the past when the “media was not free, literacy rate was low and communication mediums were not so strong”.
“But time has now changed. It’s not possible to create a veil of lies,” he said.
Trivedi said that the BJP formed its government for the first time at the Centre in 1998 when the country’s literacy rate was about 50 per cent and the party formed its government with a clear majority under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership when the country’s literacy rate went up to about 60 per cent.
“Now when the country’s literacy rate is going above 75 per cent, we are also moving forward to achieve the target of securing 400-plus seats (in this Lok Sabha election),” he said, adding the Congress is on its way to go into “oblivion”.
The BJP leader hit out at Kharge over his remarks that not even a needle was manufactured in the country when the Congress came to power post-Independence and that its governments led the country on the path of progress from such a situation.
“A lot of things they (Congress) got in legacy. There is a clear difference between lies and reality,” Trivedi said, listing a host of projects which were implemented in the country before Independence.
“India’s first power project was implemented in Mysore in 1902, first dam was constructed in Mysore before Independence…Indian Air Force was established in 1932,” he said.
