Bringing up Ram Mandir issue marks end of Vajpayee's time in BJP: K.C Tyagi

Janata Dal (United) leader K.C Tyagi on Monday said that today was the end of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as during his time the party had promised to keep the issue of Ram Mandir out of their manifesto.

"This day is the end of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time. During his time, the BJP had promised that some issues that would always remain out of the manifesto such as the Ram Mandir issue. But now they are including it," said Tyagi.

"In their manifesto they have not talked about the special status for states and not even about reservation for dalits. This is a manifesto of sadness and diversion," he said.

He further said that saying that retail would not be brought in FDI was cheating people of the country

"There are many centers of retail in Gujarat. Saying that retail will not be brought in FDI is cheating people of country. So many farmers have committed suicide, but they never talked about it, but instead focused only on new cities," said Tyagi.

"A lot of the crucial and main issues have not been addressed. This is just a communal paper just to gain votes. This NDA is not the real NDA; it was real only during Atal Bihari's time," he added.

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, party president Rajnath Singh, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Ravishankar Prasad, Rama Lal, Thawarchand Gehlot and JP Nadda were present on the dais.

The BJP manifesto has come on a day when the first of the nine phases is being held in six constituencies in the two northeastern states of Assam and Tripura.

The Election Commission on Sunday made it clear that there is no bar on a party to release its manifesto on a poll day, but it cannot be publicised or telecast in areas where elections are being held.