Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Kharge release Congress' manifesto for Lok Sabha polls

The party manifesto was released by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary KC Venugopal and manifesto committee chairman P Chidambaram barely two weeks ahead of the upcoming general election.

After releasing the manifesto, Kharge said, "We have named it Nyay Patra and we pledge to take the social and economic momentum of the country forward. We will open all the closed doors of development of farmers, poor, labourers, women and the deprived section of our country.

"Each and every promise that we have made in our manifesto will be fulfilled as everybody knows that what we say we do."

He said, "In the last 10 years under the Modi government, the economy was in crisis, youth have lost jobs, farmers have lost hope, traders have lost business, women have lost a sense of security, deprived communities have lost their economic rights and institutions have lost independence".

Kharge said that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra by Rahul Gandhi focused on five pillars and 25 guarantees that emerge from these pillars. The five “pillars of justice” being Yuva Nyay, Naari Nyay, Kisaan Nyay, Shramik Nyay and Hissedari Nyay.

"Congress guarantees a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide one year apprenticeship with a private or a public sector company to every diploma holder or college graduate below the age of 25. Apprentices will get Rs one lakh a year.

"The apprenticeship will impart skills, enhance employability and provide full-time job opportunities for millions of youth," he said.

Photo courtesy: UNI

The party also promised free healthcare in public health centres such as hospitals, clinics, primary health centres, mobile healthcare units, dispensaries and health camps. Free healthcare will include examination, diagnostics, treatment, surgery, medicines, rehabilitation and palliative care.

The party promised to amend the RTE Act to make education from Class I to Class XII in public schools compulsory and free. And added it will revisit and amend the National Education Policy that was brought by the NDA government in consultation with the state governments.

The party manifesto said that the Congress will launch a Mahalakshmi scheme that will provide Rs one lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer.

Kharge said the party will fill the nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels in the central government.

The Agnipath programme will be abolished and direct the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard) to resume normal recruitment to achieve the full sanctioned strength.