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BJP's manifesto favours corporate India, says Medha Patkar

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Press Trust of India Mumbai
AAP leader and social activist Medha Patkar today said that the BJP's vision in its poll manifesto was for corporate India and will increase the growing inequality in the country.

Addressing a press conference, Patkar, AAP's candidate for the Mumbai North East Lok Sabha seat said, "As the first Phase of election begins today, different political parties have come up with their manifestos. It is unfortunate the party claiming to lead the country even failed to bring its manifesto on time. The vision proclaimed by them is of and for the corporate India and will increase the growing inequality in the country."
 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released its manifesto much ahead and true to its vision and kept it in public domain for debate and discussion, she said.

"We stand for true and participatory development in the country and have shown our commitment to Swaraj- a promise to deliver power to people. Some of the highlights of our manifesto include process of development planning, judicial reform, electoral reforms, anti-corruption majors like the Jan Lokpal bill," the activist said.

"We are also going to revisit some of the colonial laws and reform some of those like Police Reforms. Our fundamental efforts will be towards electoral reforms and especially in the direction of less funding and judicious use of that. Judicial reform and judicial accountability will be on top of our agenda.

"One of the most important reforms in this direction will be Lok Adalat, which has been a demand by the Peoples' Movements for decades. The price rise, as suggested by Congress will not be tackled only by the RBI, but the worst culprit is commodity trading. Our manifesto has its emphasis on those on the margins of the society like adivasis, Dalits, minorities, women and so on," she said.

Patkar claimed false statements were being spread by her opponents about her work regarding the Narmada dam being anti-development.

"My work has been to protect the interests of people and precious natural resources - land, water, forest and agricultural land," she said.

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First Published: Apr 07 2014 | 7:59 PM IST

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