BJP's Uttar Pradesh manifesto centres around 'Love Jihad' laws, sops for OBCs and women

The 'sankalp patra' promised jobs to at least one member of each family and measures to placate farmers

The 'sankalp patra' was released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the presence of other senior leaders, including UP CM Yogi Adityanath. Credit: PTI Photo

Stricter laws to deal with cases of 'Love Jihad' (forcing religious conversion for marrying women) and sops for the farmers, OBCs and women found mention in the BJP's 'sankalp patra' (manifesto) for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections released on Tuesday.

The manifesto, which was released by senior BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, said that that those indulging in 'Love Jihad' would face a minimum jail term of 10 years, besides a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

The BJP government in the state had earlier enacted a law to deal with 'love jihad,' which made it a non-bailable offense and provided for imprisonment up to five years in addition to the penalty. The law covered marriages after conversion as well as marriages under false pretenses.

In an apparent bid to placate the farmers, who were "angry" with the saffron party over non-payment of sugar cane arrears and failure to enact a law to ensure MSP [Minimum Support Price] for their produce, the manifesto promised cane payment within 14 days of the receipt of sugar cane by the mills.

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It also promised to double the 'Kisan Samman Nidhi' for small and marginal farmers besides providing free power for the purpose of irrigation for the next five years.

The party also promised to make a grand memorial of the 'Rajbhar' king Suheldev, in a bid to woo the 'Rajbhar' community (OBCs), one of whose prominent leaders Om Prakash Rajbhar joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the run-up to the polls.

The manifesto also stated that every division of the state would have at least one university and it promised employment to at least one member from every family. It also promised to double the number of women in government jobs, besides establishing an academy named after the recently deceased Lata Mangeshkar.

The manifesto comes amid a perceived anger among the farmers against the saffron party especially in the Jat-dominated western UP region, which would go to the polls in the first two phases, on February 10 and 14.

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