Lucknow, March 31
Dalit budgeting on lines of gender budgeting, a Dalit academy to promote Dalit literature and reservation for the minorities on the lines of Kerala and Karnataka are some of the promises made in the Congress manifesto released across Uttar Pradesh today.
Releasing the manifesto in Lucknow, AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot and UPCC president Salman Khurshid, declared that instead of the demoralising unemployment dole, the Congress would guarantee employment.
The manifesto’s major thrust was towards the minorities, a section presently being wooed by the Congress. Minority character for Aligarh Muslim University, declaring Urdu the second language of the state and special concessions for the weaver communities are some of the promises made.
The first among the major political parties to release its manifestoes the Congress, however, disappointed the Muslims who were looking for an assurance for issuing of fresh notification in the Babri Masjid case. All it promised today was to respect the Supreme Court verdict in this regard.
Sharing the poll programme of senior Congress leaders Khurshid, said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, would join the campaign trail after the first phase on April 7. Congress President Sonia Gandhi would be touring Urai and Jhansi on April 4 and Etawah and Kanpur on April 5.
Rahul Gandhi, who has also made an impact in the western districts, is to hit the road once again. He would extensively tour Bundlekhand and districts of central UP from April 2 to 4. He is slated to address a public meeting at Bharthana in Etawah on April 4, which is the constituency of Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Senior Congress leaders and central ministers at seven divisional headquarters simultaneously released the manifesto today.
