Ideas in Cong manifesto are positively dangerous, agenda for balkanisation: Jaitley

Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday slammed the Congress manifesto alleging that some of the ideas in it are "positively dangerous" and are an agenda for the "balkanisation" of India.

Addressing the media here, he also lashed out at Congress for promising in its manifesto to amend the Armed Force (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), if voted to power, and said that the party has made the document to "favour the terrorists".

"This manifesto has ideas which will divide India. Some of the ideas are positively dangerous in the Congress manifesto. They are for an agenda for the balkanisation of India," he said.

Jaitley said, "Even though there was a drafting committee, but it appears that some of the important points have been drafted by the Congress president's friend in 'Tukde, Tukde gang' when it deals with Jammu and Kashmir."

Attacking Rahul Gandhi, he claimed that the Congress leader has made promises out of ignorance.

"When out of ignorance, Rahul Gandhi makes unimplementable and dangerous promises, I am sure the country will not be in a mood to oblige him," he said.

The Finance Minister also pointed out that the Congress manifesto has not made a mention about displaced Kashmiri Pandits.

"Seventy years of mistakes have dragged Jammu and Kashmir to where it is today. We are establishing a rule of law, while Congress wants to establish rules of terrorists and insurgents. The country cannot forget the historic mistake committed by the Nehru-Gandhi, and they are trying to continue that agenda. Moreover, there is no mention of displaced Kashmiri Pandits in the Congress manifesto," Jaitley said.

He said that while his party has been fighting terrorism, Congress today talks about removing the sedition law.

"We have been fighting terrorism for the last 72 years. We actively began fighting terrorism after 26/11. We have been successful in curbing anti-India protests in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and south India. But, today they want to remove the sedition law. As per their manifesto, they will remove section 124-A of the IPC. People who say such things have no right to get one vote from this country," the Minister said.

He alleged that Congress wants to change the law of bail and as per their election manifesto not giving bail will be considered as violation of the statute.

"They want to make changes in the CRPC. They want to change the way in which the law of bail functions. Now not granting bail will be considered as a violation of law. Congress has claimed to amend AFSPA. The area in which AFSPA is imposed one needs to get a sanction to register a criminal complaint against security personnel, but the manifesto says that will not be needed. It says investigation will be carried out against army officials without any sanction. They have made a manifesto which will favour the terrorists," Jaitley said.

Sharpening his attack on the Congress chief, he said, "Rahul Gandhi stated that we will fill 28 lakh jobs. The next sentence of the Congress manifesto says 20 lakh jobs are in the state governments. He must at least read what he is saying."

Slamming the party's NYAY scheme, he said, "The Congress party on the first day of announcing the scheme did not reveal that the NYAY will be a collective scheme of the Centre and the states. I have come to know some bits about it today. This will not be a scheme by the central government but will also get some resources from the states."

The Congress party released its manifesto earlier today.