The Congress on Thursday launched a manifesto titled ‘Nyay Patra’ for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 with a slew of promises, including nationwide caste census, minimum support price (MSP) for farmers, and 30 lakh government jobs.
The manifesto also promises the abolition of the Agnipath scheme and assures Rs one lakh dole to every poor woman per year if voted to power at the Centre.
The ‘Nyay Patra’covering 25 guarantees under five ‘Nyay’ (Yuva Nyay, Kisan Nyay, Nari Nyay, Shramik Nyay and Hissedari Nyay) was released by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the presence of Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former party president Rahul Gandhi, and senior party leaders, P Chidambaram and KC Venugopal. Party’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present on the occasion among others.
Speaking on the occasion, the Congress chief said the ‘Nyay Patra’ will be remembered as a ‘document of justice’ in the history of the country’s politics. “We will take the social and economic momentum of the country forward. We will open the closed doors of ‘development’ for farmers, the poor, labourers, women, and deprived sections. This is our pledge,” he asserted.
Referring to the five pillars of the ‘Nyay Patra’, Kharge informed the audience that there are 25 guarantees under it and everyone will be benefited.
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress chief said, “Narendra Modi always criticises the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government led by Manmohan Singh. But, in those 10 years, Congress took many steps, including MGNREGA, RTI, and the Food Security Act. In comparison, Modi could not do even a single work during his 10-year tenure.”
Accusing the government of misusing the Central probe agencies, Kharge, who is also the leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said, “Opposition leaders are jailed, the penalty imposed (by Income Tax Department) on Congress. Is this the level playing field? It is necessary to save the democracy and Constitution, and oust the ‘autocratic’ Modi government.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Rahul Gandhi said, “This election is about those who are trying to destroy the Constitution and protect democracy in this country Vs those who are trying to protect the Constitution and protect democracy in this country.”
“Once this fight is won, we will look after the interests of the vast majority of our people. This election is a fundamentally different one. I don’t think democracy has been as much at risk as it is today,” he said.
Taking on the prime minister, Gandhi said, “Narendra Modi has created a financial monopoly by capturing all the institutions like ED and CBI. All the information about electoral bonds has come out.”
‘This is a much closer election. We are going to fight an excellent election. We are going to win this election,” he added.
Replying to a question, Chidambaram, chairman of the Congress’ manifesto committee, said, “The Congress guarantees are concrete guarantees. In contrast, Modi’s guarantees are only meant to ensure that he is guaranteed a third term.”
In its manifesto, Congress stated that it has been most vocal of the progress of the backward and oppressed classes and castes and promised to conduct a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-caste and their socio-economic condition. It also vowed that the reservation of 10 per cent in jobs and educational institutions for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) will also be implemented.
For the youth, the party promised to fill nearly 30 lakh vacancies in the Central governments besides a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide a one-year apprenticeship to every diploma holder or graduate below the age of 25. The apprentices will get Rs one lakh a year.
“We will abolish the Agnipath programme and direct the Armed Forces to resume normal recruitment,” it said.
For women, the Congress vowed to launch a “Mahalakshmi” scheme to provide Rs one lakh per year to every Indian family. The amount will be directly transferred to the account of the oldest woman of the household.
The party said it would give a legal guarantee to the MSP every year as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.
The Congress also promised to increase the wage under the MGNREGA to Rs 400 per day.
The party also vowed to amend the 10th Schedule of the Constitution and make defection an automatic disqualification of the membership in the Assembly or in Parliament.
Among other major promises made in the manifesto include the replacement of the GST enacted by the BJP government with GST 2.0 which will not burden the poor, end the “cess raj’’ and “repair India’s international image that has been damaged by the present dispensation.”