- News>
- India
Employment generation to be Congress` main poll plank
Srinagar, Feb 21: Stating that employment generation would be the major poll plank of the party in the coming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress today said it will pursue the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir and with Pakistan if it comes to power at the Centre.
Srinagar, Feb 21: Stating that employment generation would be the major poll plank of the party in the coming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress today said it will pursue the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir and with Pakistan if it comes to power at the Centre.
''The Congress will further strengthen the ongoing peace process to change the shape of Jammu and Kashmir,'' party general secretary Ambika Soni and Pradesh Congress president Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here today.
Launching a scathing attack on the NDA government, they said the BJP was trying to take undue credit for the ongoing peace process.
''It was Congress, which has repeatedly highlighted the urge of the people to initiate dialogue with Pakistan as well as the alienated population in Jammu and Kashmir to restore peace.''
However, they said BJP has always opposed the demand and instead even threatened war with Pakistan by deploying troops to the borders and stationing them there for over 11 months.
''Today, when the elections are round the corner, the BJP is trying to take credit for the peace process which was in fact launched on the persistent demand of Congress and the Left parties,'' they said.
''BJP was in power at the Centre for the past six years. What the party has done so far,'' they questioned, criticising the party for propagating 'feel good' factor.
The BJP led NDA has miserably failed on all fronts, they alleged.
''Today they are talking about the highway project. It was the Congress which had made them. We have built 43 lakh roads across the country during our rule. We want to know from Prime Minister A B Vajpayee how many foundation stones they have laid for dams and steel plants in the country so far,'' they asked.
''We are releasing our manifesto within next few days. Employment generation schemes, special packages to downtrodden and backward classes, and special programme for farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Andra Pradesh, where 4000 farmers have committed suicide over the past few years, will be some of the major issues in the manifesto,'' they said.
The leaders also criticised the BJP for mixing sports with politics.
''We are opposed to mixing of the two,'' they said referring to restrictions placed earlier by the BJP on cricket team. ''There should be no politics in cricket. We welcome India's tour of Pakistan," they said. Bureau Report
Launching a scathing attack on the NDA government, they said the BJP was trying to take undue credit for the ongoing peace process.
''It was Congress, which has repeatedly highlighted the urge of the people to initiate dialogue with Pakistan as well as the alienated population in Jammu and Kashmir to restore peace.''
However, they said BJP has always opposed the demand and instead even threatened war with Pakistan by deploying troops to the borders and stationing them there for over 11 months.
''Today, when the elections are round the corner, the BJP is trying to take credit for the peace process which was in fact launched on the persistent demand of Congress and the Left parties,'' they said.
''BJP was in power at the Centre for the past six years. What the party has done so far,'' they questioned, criticising the party for propagating 'feel good' factor.
The BJP led NDA has miserably failed on all fronts, they alleged.
''Today they are talking about the highway project. It was the Congress which had made them. We have built 43 lakh roads across the country during our rule. We want to know from Prime Minister A B Vajpayee how many foundation stones they have laid for dams and steel plants in the country so far,'' they asked.
''We are releasing our manifesto within next few days. Employment generation schemes, special packages to downtrodden and backward classes, and special programme for farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Andra Pradesh, where 4000 farmers have committed suicide over the past few years, will be some of the major issues in the manifesto,'' they said.
The leaders also criticised the BJP for mixing sports with politics.
''We are opposed to mixing of the two,'' they said referring to restrictions placed earlier by the BJP on cricket team. ''There should be no politics in cricket. We welcome India's tour of Pakistan," they said. Bureau Report