NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday released a unique manifesto in which did not promise anything but demanded seven things in the Union Budget, which will ultimately help the middle income group residents of the Delhi.
From demanding a tax exemption till Rs 10 lakh to raising the education budget from 2 per cent to 10 per cent the AAP has this time targeted BJP’s core vote bank, the middle class. Moreover, the party has even named it as the “Middle Class Manifesto”.
Unlike the manifestos of its rival parties full of freebies, the AAP this time chose a different path. The freebie culture has often been touted as the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) strongest point in any elections.
Through this manifesto, the AAP has emphasised the need for robust retirement plans, tax-free health insurance, and nationwide regulation of private school fees and, subsidies & scholarships for higher education.
“The relationship between the government and the middle class is quite peculiar. These people do nothing for the middle class, but whenever the government needs something, they target the middle class and impose taxes on them,” Kejriwal said while releasing the manifesto.
He said the middle class pays “billions and trillions in taxes” to run the country, but in return, does not get anything. “The Indian middle class has become just an ATM for the government,” Kejriwal said.
The AAP convener stated that the Indian middle class is a victim of “tax terrorism” and the most troubled person in the country, more than any other nation in the world.
“In 2020, 85,000 Indians left the country, and by 2023, this number has tripled to 2,16,219. This is a great loss and a matter of deep sorrow for our country because these youth, who could have shaped India’s future, are now shaping the future of other countries,” Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal went on to announce that he along with his party will become the voice of the middle class, raising their issues from the streets to Parliament. “In two weeks, the country’s next budget will be presented. During this Lok Sabha session, Aam Aadmi Party MPs will raise middle-class issues in Parliament and the voice of the middle class will echo in Parliament,” he said.