SP manifesto promises Ahir regiment in Army

The Samajwadi Party released its vision document on Friday, promising constitution of the Ahir (Yadav) regiment and calling for 'mahaparivartan' (grand change).

Releasing the 16-page document, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the future of the country should be better for all sections, including farmers and Muslims.

"It is our vision document for party leaders and workers, and will be utilised for answering the BJP," he said at the party headquarters in Lucknow.

The vision document, carrying the photographs of Akhilesh Yadav, his father and SP patron, Mulayam Singh Yadav, read: 'Samajik nyay se mahaparivartan: Ek nayi disha, ek nayi ummeed' (Change through social justice: A new direction, a new hope).

It also carried socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia's quote: 'The fight against poverty is a farce till there is discrimination on basis of caste and sex.'

The last page of the multi-coloured pictorial vision document carries an appeal: 'Vote for mahaparivartan' .

Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the National Democratic Alliance government's decisions had robbed the youth of employment opportunities.

"They talk of giving money, but have snatched it from the people.

"We feel the future of the country should be better for all sections, be it farmers, youth or Muslims.

"The chasm between the rich and the poor has become very wide," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

The SP, which has formed an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of using the Army as a political tool.

It added that 'fake nationalism' of the BJP was a threat to the country and promised to ban the use of Army and soldiers for political gains.

'Ahir (Yadav) armoured and Gujarat infantry regiments will be formed and equal status and honour will be given to the security forces, be it the BSF (Border Security Force) or the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force),' the document read.

It promised to empower forces fighting Naxalism.

The document also talked of modernising weapons, start 'metadata intelligence' and review the Kashmir policy of the BJP government, due to which it alleged that feeling of separatism was gaining.

The party promised 100 per cent loan waiver for farmers, equal status and opportunities to women and monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to needy women.

It talked of free and quality education, one lakh job per year, doubling of human resource in government departments in a phased manner, besides laptops and tablets to students.

Asked whether the document is an election manifesto, Akhilesh Yadav said: "If I say it is a manifesto, you will ask 'are you going to form a government?' This is a vision document or message to party cadre with which they will reply to the BJP and understand the party's stand on various issues.

"Our party candidates and workers will take it to people."