The Samajwadi Party president, Akhilesh Yadav, released the party’s vision document, today in Lucknow in a press conference, for the upcoming general elections 2024. The party has named the document – Hamara Adhikar – Janata ka Mangpatra (Our Right – Peoples’ Demand Charter).
- Save Democracy, Save Constitution
- Social Justice: Yadav said that caste census is at the centre of social justice and if voted to power the party will conduct caste census by 2025; and ensure social justice to all based on the census by 2029.
- MSP Guarantee Law: The party will fulfil the farmers’ long-pending demand of MSP of all crops. The MSP will be decided on the formula given by the MS Swaminathan report.
- Freedom and Autonomy of Constitutional Institutions.
- Freedom of press will be ensured.
- Scrap Agniveer Scheme: The party also promises to scrap the Agniveer scheme and go back to regular recruitments in the armed forces.
- Reinstate OPS: Party will also reinstate the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for all [government] employees including the Paramilitary forces.
- Free Education: Party will ensure free education to all. The party proposes to raise the education budget from 3 per cent of GDP to 6 per cent.
- Good Quality Food: Party will ensure that good quality food is provided to the families under free ration scheme, so their nutritional needs are met.
- Women Safety: There will be a Zero Tolerance policy in the matter of women safety and a national helpline will also be setup.
Yadav said that the party had requested the people through social media to send their suggestions for the document, which received a good response; individuals as well as independent organisations, sent their suggestions. The document list out various rights of the people, which the party will ensure if, voted in to form the next government at the centre.
While reading out from the document, Yadav said that “the first right is to save the Constitution, to save the democracy’. He added, “our rights will only prevail if democracy and constitution prevail”. Social justice is another main focal point of the document. Yadav said that “inclusive development of the nation is only possible if it’s based on the principle of social justice”.
While talking about the Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee law, the SP chief pointed out how the present government has dealt with farmers with suppression whenever they raised this long-standing demand.
Yadav also hit out on the BJP government on the issue of unemployment. He said, “some data shows that 80% youth is unemployed, but in rural areas we see more than 90% youth don’t have jobs. The situation is worse in UP”. He also accused BJP for the various paper leaks of the government jobs recruitment examinations. He said that the BJP doesn’t want to implement reservation which is why they don’t want to make recruitments for the government positions.
Hitting out at the Agniveer scheme introduced by the central government, He said that “financial and social position of rural youth used to improve if they got army jobs, but the BJP could not tolerate this”.
Here are some highlights of the vision document:
Yadav said that BJP has only lied to the people till now and that these elections will be held accountable for all its lies. He said he is hopeful that SP and the opposition alliance, INDIA, will get historic win in the elections. He appealed to the people to vote for SP and alliance and against BJP.
(With inputs from agencies)
