Cong manifesto favours separatists, terrorists: BJP

Intensifying its attack on the Congress over the issue of national security, the BJP Wednesday alleged that various provisions in the opposition party's Lok Sabha polls manifesto posed a threat to the country as those favoured separatists and terrorists, and demoralised the armed forces.

Defence Minister and BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters that the Congress's manifesto, which was released on Tuesday, was not in national interest and indirectly helped terrorists and others working against the country.

She cited the opposition party's promise to review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and repeal section 124A (sedition law) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to attack it.

AFSPA gives the armed forces certain protection from legal action in carrying out their operations in disturbed areas.

"Are you writing the manifesto to help separatists?," Sitharaman asked at a press conference here.

Insisting that her party was not against withdrawing AFSPA if the situation allowed it, she said tweaking its provisions, as promised by the Congress if it was voted to power, would allow terrorists and their friends to target the security personnel with manufactured allegations of sexual violence, torture and enforced disappearance.

The Narendra Modi government, in tandem with the respective state governments, had withdrawn AFSPA from Meghalaya and Tripura and most parts of Assam, Sitharaman said, while asking the Congress from how many places it had removed the law when it was in power during 2004-14.

On the Congress's stand that the powers of the armed forces and human rights should be balanced, she said it should not be presumed that the former was against the latter.

"Why should it be presumed that the powers of the security forces go against human rights.... It does not portend well for the unity of the country and the morale of the armed forces," the defence minister said, claiming that such provisions were a threat to the country.

The same Congress did "nothing" after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in 2008 and it showed the party's attitude on the issue of national security, she added.

To a question about the welfare measures contained in the Congress's manifesto, Sitharaman said it was not in the opposition party's character to honour its promises.

She also took a dig at the Congress over its manifesto provisions pertaining to the media, saying it was "thirsty" for controlling the press and was notorious for doing so.