Akali Dal manifesto reveals divergence of views with BJP

The Akali Dal (Badal) has reiterated its allegiance to the 1978 version of the Anandpur Saheb resolution in its election manifesto for the Punjab assembly election, saying 'true federalism' envisaged in the resolution 'alone can broaden and deepen the bonds of unity and integrity of the great Indian nation'.

Manifesto committee chairman and former chief minister Surjit Singh Barnala said the Akali-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in the event of coming to power would be "mainly governed" by the common minimum programme which merely stated that 'the Akali Dal-BJP combine believes that more powers should be given to the states.

The CMP -- which was drafted by both allies for the Punjab poll -- stressed on restoring the balance of resources in favour of the states, ending the misuse of Article 356 and consulting the states on the choice of governor as recommended by the Sarkaria Commission in its report on Centre- state relations.

But the Akali manifesto says 'the states ought to enjoy genuine autonomy-- political, legislative, fiscal and administrative within the federal framework'.

While the Akali manifesto promises to establish a Punjab Human Rights Commission to guard civil liberties, the CMP is silent on the setting up of the commission, which incidentally also forms part of the 50-point action plan announced by the ruling Congress party at its political conference in Ludhiana on December 22.

The manifesto is silent on the setting up of a special commission of inquiry to expose the Congress hand behind the violence in Punjab as promised in the CMP which was released by BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana and Barnala on January 22.

The manifesto reiterated the CMP's promise of providing free water and electricity to farmers and abolishing octroi, but also added an assurance to abolish land revenue. Barnala said abolition of land revenue would entail a loss of Rs 40 million to Rs 50 million crores, free water would cost Rs 350 million to Rs 400 million and free power another Rs 2.5 billion to the state exchequer. All this, he added, could be managed by making optimum use of resources and rationalisation of tax structure as promised in the CMP.

The Akali manifesto rejected all past 'agreements, decisions, allocations and arrangements which deprive Punjab of its water requirements and rights', adding the Akali Dal would also 'strive to scrap the SYL canal project.'

'Punjab," the manifesto said, 'has the riparian rights on the river waters of the state and entire water available at present is not even sufficient for the requirements of the state. Hence, the question of giving river water to any other state does not arise.'

'The Akali Dal will not allow any water to be taken away from the state,' the manifesto added.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi told several election rallies in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts that the ideologies of the two electoral partners were different, but peace would prevail in the border state if both were voted to power.