Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi during a press conference for the release of the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, in New Delhi, Friday, April 5, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Seeking a “decisive break from the path of past ten years”, Congress on Friday unveiled its manifesto, promising radical measures like raising 50 per cent quota cap, extending reservation benefits for economically backward to all castes, increasing minimum wages to Rs 400, writing off student loans and abolishing contractual jobs in public sector.
The 'Nyay Patra', as the Congress called its manifesto, focuses on providing “greater freedom, faster growth, more equitable development and justice for all” through 'Five Nyays’ or 'pillars of justice' addressing issues of equity, youth, farmers, women and workers and '25 guarantees' under them.
The manifesto, released by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former presidents Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi along with General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal and drafting committee head P Chidambaram, reads as an indictment of the ten years of the Narendra Modi government and outlines the changes Congress intends to make.
It “promises you freedom from fear... not to interfere with personal choices of food and dress, to love and marry, and to travel and reside in any part of India," as the manifesto sought to critique the rising right-wing tendencies in the country.
Amid the Opposition facing action by central agencies, which they describe as BJP-sponsored, Congress also promises an end to “weaponisation of laws, arbitrary searches... arbitrary arrests” as well as “bulldozer justice," in a reference to BJP-led state governments use of bulldozers to raze structures of those accused of crimes.
A law will be enacted to ensure that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception”, it said.
In opposition to BJP’s pet project, the manifesto also rejected the ‘One Nation, One Election’, while seeking to amend the Constitution to automatically disqualify lawmakers who defect to other parties, amid large scale desertions from the Opposition to the ruling BJP.
The economic philosophy outlined in the manifesto is based on 'work, wealth and welfare' -- which talks about providing employment, wealth creation and implementing welfare measures.
While the manifesto is silent on the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act and restoration of Article 370, the party promises immediate restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The 48-page document promises to amend the Constitution to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs, with Caste Census providing the latest data to go ahead with the affirmative action. Addressing land issues, the party also pledges to establish an authority to monitor the distribution of government land and surplus land under the land ceiling Acts to the poor.
Another big-ticket promise is the appointment of more women in positions of power like judges, Secretaries in government, high-ranking police officers, law officers and directors in listed companies. The party will also “ensure the principle of ‘same work, same pay’.”
Caste Census, legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price, filling 30 lakh government vacancies, Right to Apprenticeship for youth, Rs one lakh per year to women from poor family and 50 per cent reservation for women in central government jobs starting 2025, which are among the 25 guarantees announced during Rahul's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra earlier, also form part of the manifesto.
A number of pledges in the manifesto are also a reiteration of party's resolutions and declarations following Udaipur Conclave 2022 and Raipur Plenary 2023, including enacting Rohith Vemula Act to address discrimination faced by students belonging to oppressed and backward classes, setting up of a Diversity Commission, quota for SC, ST and OBC in private educational institutions and in private sector jobs.
Assuring apprenticeship to youth by making it a right and Rs one lakh for a year, fast track courts to adjudicate question paper leak cases and monetary compensation to victims, abolition of application fees for government examinations, including those for recruitment and ban schools from charging special fees also find space in the manifesto.
Countering the Hindutva “rewriting” of textbooks, the Congress vows to align study material with India's Constitutional values while insisting that textbook revisions will not be arbitrary. States will be allowed to opt or opt out from centrally conducted NEET and CUET. With online classes gaining traction, all students of Class IX-XII will be provided mobile phones while schools and colleges will be provided free and unlimited.