BJP manifesto promises to 'maintain peace in Northeast'

In its election manifesto -- 'Sankalp Patra' -- the Bharatiya Janata Party has vowed to implement the Union Civil Code (UCC), maintain peace in the Northeast, among other key poll promises.

The party released its 'Sankalp Patra' on Sunday at its headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The party said that women will not get equal rights until a common legal code is implemented.

'Article 44 of the Constitution lists the Uniform Civil Code as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy. BJP believes that there cannot be gender equality till such time Bharat adopts a Uniform Civil Code, that protects the rights of all women, and the BJP reiterates its stand to draw a Uniform Civil Code, drawing upon the best traditions and harmonising them with modern times,' the BJP said in its manifesto.

UCC is contemplated as a common set of laws for citizens governing personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption, irrespective of religion, sex, gender or caste.

Notably, Uttarakhand became the first state in India to implement UCC earlier this year.

The party also said that it will continue its effective efforts to establish peace in the North-East and phase out the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

'We will continue our efforts to address the issues in the disturbed areas and remove AFSPA in a phased manner. We will further work towards the resolution of inter-state border disputes amongst Northeastern states through sustained efforts,' the party said in its manifesto.

Last year, violence erupted in one of the Northeast states- Manipur after indigenous communities held a rally to protest against demands by the main ethnic group in the state for tribal status.

Notably, the AFSPA empowers the governor of the state or administrator of Union territory or the Centre to issue an official notification concerning disturbed areas, after which the central government has the authority to send in armed forces for civilian aid.

The party further said that it will work to leverage the Northeast as a strategic gateway for Bharat's Act East Policy, ensuring connectivity, education, health, economic development and security.

BJP also promised to build 'sarovars' to manage floods in the Northeast.

'We will ensure flood management in the Northeast by conducting advanced satellite imagery to identify places where big reservoirs can be constructed to store excess waters according to topography, which will be used for irrigation, and organising water sports, among others,' it added.

The party has also promised to implement laws to prevent paper leaks and conduct transparent public exams.

'We have already enacted a strict law to stop misconduct in recruitment exams across the country. We will strictly implement this law to ensure strict punishment for those playing with the future of our youth. We have set an example by conducting recruitment exams in a transparent manner and recruiting lakhs of youth for government jobs. We will continue to fill the government vacancies in a time-bound and transparent manner. We will also extend the central government capacity to states that request support in conducting recruitment examinations,' the party said.

The manifesto launched by BJP featured India's Olympics bid in 2036 and the implementation of National Education Policy 2020 among other promises.

'Young citizens form an essential pillar of our commitment towards building a Viksit Bharat. Our vision is to build a Viksit Bharat where young citizens can fully realise their potential. We will develop an integrated education framework under the NEP, to ensure young citizens have the opportunity to earn while they learn. We guarantee high-quality education, world-class sports facilities, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities to all young citizens through the NEP and other programmes,' the party added.

The BJP had appointed a manifesto committee headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that met twice to deliberate on its contents after the party had launched multiple exercises, including massive campaigns across the country to seek people's suggestions before the release of the 'Sankalp Patra'.

The BJP received over 1.5 million suggestions for its manifesto, including more than 400,000 through the NaMo app and over 1.1 million through videos.

The Lok Sabha polls in India are scheduled to take place from April 19, 2024, to June 1, 2024, to choose the 543 representatives for the 18th Lok Sabha.

These elections will be conducted over seven phases, with the outcome being declared on June 4.