CHANDIGARH: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh agreed to launch the Assembly election manifesto of the Punjab Pradesh Congress, the party’s blueprint for governance in Punjab, at a meeting with AICC in-charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari and PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh in Delhi on Thursday.
Asha Kumari and Amarinder discussed with Singh the key points in the manifesto, which will now be given the final shape by the PPCC manifesto committee, led by former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal. Asha Kumari said it had been decided by the party to take Singh’s insights on the manifesto draft before releasing it, in view of his expertise on economic issues.
“The Congress does not believe in taking arbitrary decisions, without understanding the nuances of the subject, and felt it was important to involve Singh in the finalisation of the manifesto, given its impact on the people of Punjab,” she said.
She contrasted the functioning of Congress with the ‘dictatorial style’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has not yet disclosed whom he had consulted on demonetisation decision despite AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s repeated queries on the issue.
Amarinder said Singh gave his valuable inputs on the manifesto – a comprehensive document addressing issues relating to every section of Punjab’s society. Pointing out that the Badal government had plunged the people of Punjab into a state of despair with its ill-conceived and anti-people policies, he said the Congress manifesto was designed to bring the State back on the track of growth and progress.
The manifesto, said Amarinder, seeks to give concrete shape to the promises he had made to the people of Punjab, which he is totally committed to realise.
He disclosed that the manifesto will simultaneously be released in key cities of Punjab to coincide with its release in New Delhi by Singh to ensure that it is disseminated across the State, reaching out to maximum number of people.