NCP promises to open dialogue with Pak

The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has assured to open dialogue with Pakistan and discuss the issue of terrorism. Besides, it has also assured a complete waiver of farm loans and a re-look at issues like triple talaq.

The party’s manifesto, with the tagline “aao milke desh banaye”, was released in Mumbai by senior leader Dilip Walse-Patil, the former speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

The manifesto emphasised NCP’s commitment to provide adequate attention to promote agricultural growth, productivity, income and access to market.

“We will carry out structural reforms to drive sustainable agriculture. We will provide a complete loan waiver to all farmers,” it said. Asked about the timelines and criteria, Walse-Patil said: “Once we come to power, we will discuss with partners and come out with a loan waiver.”

On the issue of foreign policy, it said: “We will open talks with Pakistan during which we would insist on discussing terrorism.”

When asked whether it was prudent to have talks with Pakistan following the Pulwama attack, the NCP state unit’s chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said: “It has already started... Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan... External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj initiated talks on Kartarpur corridor... We must remember, we can resolve issues through dialogue.”

The NCP also expressed commitment to the modernisation of the armed forces and said that ordnance factories and defence PSUs would be modernised.

On aspects of national security, the manifesto stated, “In these five years of NDA rule, there have been three terror attacks on military and para-military forces under its nose. There has been a criminal failure of intelligence in preventing such attacks. No responsibility has been fixed, no one held accountable.”

It also assured action on the recommendations of the Sachar committee. On the issue of triple talaq, it said: “NCP will initiate a process to arrive at a consensus on issues related to personal law including triple talaq but facilitating interaction between different schools of thought in the community including religious heads, reformists, and other sections of the community.”