By M.K. Ashoka

Bengaluru, May 6 (IANS): As Karnataka inches closer to elections, the manifestos released by the BJP and the Congress have put them on war mode. With both the parties promises on issues which are contentious, the bickering is most likely to continue even after the elections.

The Congress has been in confrontation mode with the BJP since the beginning over a plethora of issues. Karnataka Congress president D.K. Shivakumar declared on many occasions that the BJP's legislation on hijab, religious conversion and cow slaughter would be reversed as soon as the Congress comes to power.

Shivakumar also said earlier that they would scrap the ambitious National Education Policy (NEP) of the BJP government. The manifesto released on May 2 promised to repeal all unjust and anti people laws passed by the BJP government within one year of coming to power.

The manifesto underlined that the government will reject the NEP and outline a State Education Policy. More importantly, the Congress maintained that it is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste or religion.

"We believe that law and the Constitution are sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and organisations like the Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among the majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on any such organisation," the manifesto proclaimed.

The development stoked a controversy with the BJP and Hindutva organisations challenging the Congress over equating the Bajrang Dal and the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). A political slugfest over the issue is still continuing in the state. However, though it is perceived to be a setback for the Congress, Shivakumar clarified that his party will not withdraw any proposal made in the manifesto including that on the Bajrang Dal.

He said that including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leaders are trying to use the name of God for doing politics. He maintained that the Congress is set to win 140 seats and come to power and nothing could stop them.

The BJP released its election manifesto on May 1 in the name of the people of Karnataka. The saffron party called it "Praja Pranalike" (people's manifesto). It proposes to implement the controversial Uniform Civil Code in the state.

Talking to IANS, Chaman Farzana, educationist and national secretary of the All India Mahila Congress stated, "the Congress has made more than 500 promises and all are development related promises. They have taken care of women's issues, child development, farmers' issues, employment issues and everything. Whatever they are promising will be implemented."

"In the last government led by the Congress, most of the promises were fulfilled. This time I am overwhelmed and happy because the manifesto gives more importance to women's issues. Gruha Jyothi, Gruha Lakshmi and free bus passes for women, all this is to ensure women's empowerment."

"It is a women centric, development centric manifesto. When you look at the BJP's manifesto, their issues mostly rotate around communal matters like implementing the CAA and others. They want to keep these issues alive so that people get confused and support them. This is the main difference between the two manifestos," she said.

Chaman Farzana stated that it is better to go with issues of development than with fake communal issues meant only to target the voters and polarise them. When you look at the BJP's manifesto they have made it keeping in mind only one single community.

Actually the BJP is blowing up the Bajrang Dal issue because they never got an opportunity to polarise the voters. They want to make this issue bigger. The Congress is saying that whoever is going against the Constitution and indulging in terror and instigating people will be targeted and banned, she said.

Farzana said if the Bajrang Dal is not that kind of organisation, it won't be banned. Moreover, former Home Minister Sardar Patel wanted to ban the RSS and the Bajrang Dal is a part of the RSS. The RSS is involved in such issues. Riots happen due to the poisonous speeches given by party leaders.

The Congress has been open about it and they are talking about it. They are talking about all the organisations involved in such activities. So, we need to appreciate it. They are not hiding and doing it to get votes. They could have kept quiet fearing loss of votes. They are not doing so, they are talking and we need to appreciate it, she said.

"We have not found any effect in the field after the release of the manifesto. We are travelling in different districts. We have toured 13 districts. We are meeting very minor communities. They are not bothered. Their concern is about their housing, economic, educational problems and atrocities committed on them. They are least bothered about this issue, which is hyped by the media," she said.

AAP state secretary Darshan Jain told IANS that the maximum issues discussed by the Congress in its manifesto have been hijacked from the AAP's manifesto. The programmes like free 200 units of power, free bus travel for women have already been implemented by the AAP. The Congress is ruling in 8 states, but not even in one state have they implemented any scheme.

"We have implemented the schemes and presented surplus budgets. The AAP government is the only one in the country to achieve this. We are contesting on 209 seats in Karnataka and believe that people will support us," Darshan Jain claimed.