Sushma Swaraj last year announced that she would not contest this month's national election (File)
The Congress's manifesto has made "traitors and separatists" happy, Union Minister Sushma Swaraj said today, joining the BJP leaders in attacking the Rahul Gandhi-led party for promising review of controversial laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and sedition in the poll document released today. She also claimed the Congress president was not accepting "treason" as a crime.
"The Congress manifesto has made deshdrohi (traitor) and algavwadi (separatist) people happy," she was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
"It is unfortunate for the country that on one side Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving a befitting reply to Pakistan's terror attacks with surgical and air strikes. On the other hand, the Congress president (Rahul Gandhi) is refusing to accept treason as a crime," she added, while speaking at a rally in Nagpur.
She was referring to the Indian Air Force strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, which had been a subject of much political commenting. While the opposition has asked the government to come out with the details of damage caused on the terror camp, the BJP has accused them of siding with Pakistan.
"While PM Modi has taken back security provided to separatist leaders (in Jammu and Kashmir post the Pulwama terror attack), the Congress chief talks of continuous talks with them. "This is the difference between chowkidar (watchman) and rajkumar (prince)," she added.
The Congress on Tuesday presented a bread-and-butter manifesto that, its chief Rahul Gandhi said, focuses on the issues that the common man faces. Its five big ideas, Mr Gandhi said, were poverty alleviation under the NYAY scheme, generation of jobs, a reformed Goods and Services Tax, double budget for education and free healthcare.
Omitting Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (that defines the offence of ''sedition'') that has been misused and, in any event, has become redundant because of subsequent laws," the manifesto reads.
For Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress has promised to review AFSPA. "The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the Disturbed Areas Act in Jammu and Kashmir will be reviewed. Suitable changes will be made in the text of the laws to balance the requirements of security and the protection of human rights," the party said in the manifesto.
Union Minister Arun Jaitley shredded the Congress manifesto, alleging that it is "dangerous and un-implementable, and an agenda for balkanisation of India".
Sushma Swaraj last year announced that she would not contest this month's national election.
With inputs from PTI