By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 14 Apr: Uttarakhand Congress media-in-charge, Chayanika Uniyal held a press conference at the Congress state headquarters here, today, where she strongly criticised the BJP Manifesto, which was released today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda.
Addressing the media, she mocked the BJP manifesto, describing it as a ‘jumla (empty rhetoric)’. She claimed that BJP has made a mockery of public sentiments in its manifesto, because it had promised to build 100 smart cities in its previous manifesto. However, smart cities are nowhere to be seen even after so many years.
Chayanika Uniyal sought to remind that BJP had talked to the people of the country about reducing the prices of petrol and diesel, but nothing like this happened. She said that, within just 13 days of beginning the exercise for the party manifesto, BJP had released its manifesto through one-way communication by holding a press conference of one hour and 40 minutes. This, she claimed, clearly shows how casual the BJP is about its manifesto.
Uniyal claimed that farmers and the unemployed are facing a huge struggle during BJP rule, but despite this, the word employment has appeared only twice in the BJP manifesto. She added that BJP makes tempting promises during the elections through its manifesto but after the elections forgets the promises made to the public. She claimed that in the 2014 and 2019 elections, BJP had made promises to the people of the country to bring back black money, build smart cities, remove unemployment and give Rs 15 lakh to each person, but after coming to power, BJP has made the life of the common persons miserable due to inflation and unemployment.
Uniyal claimed that while narrating his Mann Ki Baat, Modi forgot to find out the Mann Ki Baat of the people. On the other hand, the Manifesto Committee of Congress was formed in December 2023 and it was prepared keeping in mind the experiences of Bharat Jodo Yatra, aspirations, expectations and apprehensions of the people. In the Congress manifesto, five types of justices and 25 guarantees have been promised by the Congress.
Uniyal also claimed that BJP’s claim to have brought 25 crores of people out of poverty line is based on the NITI Aayog report but it can’t be trusted because the NITI Aayog itself concedes that 20 percent of the country’s population is poor. She further claimed that two farmers and two youths are committing suicide every day because of unemployment. She also stated that there is no mention of MSP guarantee to the farmers in the BJP manifesto. She claimed that 700 farmers died during the farmers’ agitation but they were described as Khalistani and terrorists by the BJP.
She further stated that the current inflation rate is at 8.5 percent (the official figures are 5.1 percent) but the Congress is promising to give Rs 1 lakh annually to poor women and 50 percent reservation in government jobs.
She claimed that BJP has no roadmap to tackle unemployment. Modi had claimed in 2014 that a special task force would be formed and black money would be brought back to the country but the country got a big scam like electoral bonds.
Congress leaders Mathuradutt Joshi, Garima Dasauni were among those present on the occasion.
