Congress plays soft-Hindutva in MP, offers gaushalas, spirituality, Sanskrit

Playing soft Hindutva in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress on Saturday promised to build gaushalas in every gram panchayat, establish a new department for spirituality, opening of new Sanskrit schools besides loan waiver for farmers and a Made-in-MP programme to boost industries.

The promises were contained in a 86-page manifesto titled "Vachan Patra" released by senior Congress leaders including state Congress President Kamal Nath, campaign committee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, and which focuses largely on farmers, youth, women, tribals and industries.

For farmers, the party has promised to waive loans upto Rs 2 lakh taken from nationalised and cooperative banks and reduce their electricity bill by 50 per cent, reduce diesel, petrol and cooking gas prices, gaushalas in every gram panchayat, Rs 51,000 for the marriage of daughters of farmers among others if it comes to power.

"The party will take back all the cases filed against farmers during agitations and protests. A judicial inquiry will be conducted for killing of farmers in Mandsaur," the manifesto read.

Besides this, provision of Rs 2.50 lakh for the construction of houses of landless people each on a plot of 450 sq feet has also been mentioned in the manifesto.

Wooing the youth, the party has promised to constitute a youth commission and to bring a new youth policy. "An unemployed member of every family will be given Rs 10,000," said Kamal Nath while releasing the manifesto.

Addressing the media, Scindia said for the first time any party has released a "vachan patra" and not a manifesto.

"This is a vachan patra and not a ghoshna patra, because we all have been hearing ghoshnas for the last 15 years," he said in an apparent dig at Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

To promote industries and business the opposition party promised that it will bring a new industrial policy which will benefit locals in terms of employment and will encourage multi-level industrial parks in every big city in the state.

Besides establishing a MP global technology incubator, transport hubs will be created in Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur, the party said adding that it will encourage Made in MP brand of products.

Taking a soft-Hindutva approach ahead, the party promised to constitute Maa Narmada Nyay legislation and new spirituality department besides promising to open Sanskrit schools to promote the language.

The party promised to constitute a legislative council in the state if it comes to power.

People of Madhya Pradesh will vote on November 28 to elect a 230-member new state Assembly. The counting of votes will take place on December 11.

--IANS

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