Congress manifesto aims to make country stronger: Farooq

Srinagar, April 8

The Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections aims to make the country stronger and maintain its secular credentials, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said on Monday.

“I don’t think the manifesto is to break the country. I think the manifesto is to make the country strong and to keep it secular. That is what it is,” Abdullah told reporters when asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Muslim League imprint” remarks on the manifesto.

“Anyone who thinks otherwise, they are already dividing the nation in their own way,” Abdullah said.

Modi had earlier attacked the Congress, charging that its poll manifesto bore the imprint of the Muslim League and uttrances of its leaders showed hostility towards national integrity and Sanatan Dharma.

The National Conference and the Congress are members of the opposition INDIA bloc, formed to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

Abdullah also said the people of Jammu and Kashmir know what his party stands for after People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti targeted the National Conference.

“She can say what she likes to say. People know what we stand for and, beyond that, I don’t need to express anything,” he added.

The Congress has unveiled its manifesto (Nyay Patra) for the General Election, with the focus on ensuring comprehensive justice by addressing pressing issues such as unemployment, poverty, healthcare, farmers’ welfare and social inequality.