Mulayam tries to woo Hindus, Muslims

MANDATE 2004/'Bofors could wait poll outcome'

The Samaj-wadi Party today released a manifesto that was both socialist and promised affirmative action on behalf of minorities.

It sought to appeal to both Muslims and Hindus by committing itself to opposing any kind of interference in the Muslim personal law, job reservation to Muslims and ensuring arrangements for the resumption of pooja and worship in all important religious places falling under the Archaeological Survey of India.

However, it was clear that on the issue of choosing friends and enemies in the new Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party Mulayam Singh Yadav was playing his cards close to his chest, because when asked whether Congress chief Sonia Gandhi should be questioned on the Bofors issue, he said this should happen only after the elections.

On Gandhi's foreign origin, Yadav said when SP leader Amar Singh had brought the issue in a private members' Bill in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP had not supported him.

Moreover, the matter was raised by PA Sangma, he said when the Constitution Review Commission met, but the issue was deleted from the agenda. He was implying that the BJP had raised the issue now because it suited them electorally to do so.

The party also announced it would ban import of things that encourage fashionable and luxurious lifestyle and programmes projecting consumerism and alien culture on Doordarshan. Agriculture would be treated on par with industry in terms of facilities, it said.

It pledged to bring a national water policy to make available irrigation facility to the entire agricultural land.

The manifesto criticised the policies that make the country dependent on multi-national companies and said membership of the World Trade Organisation would be "on our own conditions".

In its 16-page manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha elections, the party pledged to implement the court verdict on the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid issue and also have 10 per cent reservation for Muslims in the government jobs by amending the Constitution. It promised to make proper arrangements for security at all religious places.

Favouring a court verdict on the Ayodhya issue, the party said it was of the view that the vexed issue could not be resolved through mutual dialogue. A special force will be raised to deal with communal riots, it said.

It promised action against those found guilty of involvement in riots that broke out following demolition of the Babri Masjid and those responsible for attacking Sikhs during the 1984 riots.

The victims, it said, would be given maximum compensation. The manifesto resolves to oppose "tooth and nail" all steps for abrogation of Article 370 granting special status to Kashmir.

It promised to bring a constitution amendment to ensure reservation to students of minorities, Dalits and backward classes in medical and engineering colleges, besides 10 per cent quota for the economically weak upper caste candidates, including Muslims, in government jobs.

The party, which has been strongly opposing the growing use of English language, promised changing the name of the country to Bharat from India.

The manifesto promised giving more teeth to the Human Rights Commission to deal sternly with those guilty of violating them and appointing a high-level committee within three months to review TADA cases all over the country to and punish officials guilty of framing the innocents.