BJP manifesto seeks to fast-track development: Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party's election manifesto, 'Sankalp Patra', has been made with a focus to expedite India's development.

Speaking at the launch of the manifesto here, he said: "The manifesto has not been prepared with the mindset of the "tukde tukde gang", instead it has been prepared with rationality and discussions with a committee headed by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh."

The FM said that this manifesto has been made under conditions that are different from that of 2014. "There was corruption in 2014 and the government was paralysed. Today the environment is entirely different and this (new) government will be built on the good work done in the last five years," he said expressing confidence in his party coming back to power.

Talking about India's new security doctrine, he said that terrorism will be dealt with using an iron hand. "We reject all ideas of Balakanisation of India," he said.

Praising the upward trajectory of current economic conditions, Jaitley said, "India is the fastest growing economy, our inflation is lowest compared to predecessor governments."

He added, "We expanded our collections and transferred our resources to the poor of the country. The manifesto promises to reduce poverty to single digit in the next five years and then to finally eliminate it."

Jaitley further said: "The idea is to invest in infrastructure to over 100 lakh crore in the next five years, besides doubling the income of farmers and maintaining 8 per cent plus growth rate for the country.