NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday vowed to spendmore than $1.4 trillion on new infrastructure over five years to createmuch-needed jobs and to pursue his nationalist agenda if he wins anelection that starts this week.
Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also promised $300 billionfor the country’s hard-pressed farmers and rural development as it went allout to stop voters being tempted by opposition parties in the world’sbiggest election that runs from Thursday until May 19.
The BJP’s big-spending manifesto was accompanied by promises to keep itsHindu bedrock behind the party that won a landslide victory in 2014 but haslost key state elections in recent months.
It made a new pledge to scrap a law that gives special privileges — such aspreventing outsiders from buying property — to residents of Jammu andKashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority state.
Modi’s party also said it was committed to building a grand Hindu temple inplace of a Muslim mosque demolished by Hindu mobs in the city of Ayodhya in1992.
The rights of outsiders in Kashmir and the temple promise have becomeflashpoint issues between Hindus and Muslims in recent years.
Tens of thousands have died in an uprising lasting three decades againstIndian rule in Kashmir, while the burning down of the five-century-oldAyodhya mosque led to riots in which more than 2,000 people, mainlyMuslims, were killed.
“Nationalism is our inspiration and inclusion and good governance is ourmantra,” the prime minister said at the manifesto launch.
– 75 targets –
Modi remains very popular in India, but his government has come under fireover its handling of the fast-growing economy, particularly the failure tocreate jobs for the millions of youths coming on the labour market eachyear and the severe debts hitting farmers.
Facing criticism from the opposition Congress party, the BJP said more than$1.4 trillion would be spent during the next five-year term if it wins. Itpromised metro trains for 50 cities and to double the national highwaynetwork.
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On top of the rural development, each farmer would get an annual handout of6,000 rupees ($86). Thousands of farmers have killed themselves in recentyears because of crippling debts.
The party set 75 targets — divided between the economy and its longstandingaim to transform society — to be reached by 2022 when India marks its 75thanniversary of the end of British colonial rule.
“It (the manifesto) is multi-layered and multi-dimensional because oursociety is very diverse. We can’t have a one-size-fits-all kind of policy,”Modi said.
While the BJP promises also included lower taxes for the middle-classes andmore health facilities, the prime minister has built his reputation overthe past five years as being a hawk on national security.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Indian security forces would be given “afree hand” to rein in extremist violence.
The vow to scrap a constitutional amendment providing special rights toKashmir could also spike tension in Kashmir. The BJP has long supportedending Kashmir’s special status, but its proposal is currently before theSupreme Court.
Last week, the Congress manifesto promised a 72,000 rupee ($1,045) paymentto each of India’s poorest 250 million families.
A Congress statement lambasted the BJP. “They had promised 20 million jobsevery year. On the contrary the country has lost 4.7 million jobs,” saidCongress, which trails the BJP in opinion polls.
“The youth are staring at a bleak future,” it said. – APP/AFP
