Putting up a joint front, the BJP on Sunday released its manifesto which skipped any reference to Godhra, the riots and the Akshardham attack but projected it as the only saviour of ‘‘five crore Gujaratis’’. The party has made safety and security its top priority in this border state.What may rattle the minorities is the BJP’s bid to borrow a leaf from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s book for legislation on the lines of the state’s anti-conversion law. It has also promised to regulate education in the madarsas which, the party observed, were mushrooming in the state.‘‘No political party causes riots. How can a party commit itself to cause riots in its manifesto! We are here to ensure safety,’’ an angry Chief Minister Narendra Modi shot back when a reporter asked why there was no reference to Godhra and the violence.The 15-page colourful manifesto, released by Modi, former chief minister Keshubhai Patel and state president Rajendrasinh Rana on Sunday, seeks to start an anti-terrorist movement by training youth to counter the scourge. It also promises a host of schemes like arms training for residents of border areas, formation of shakti gram in coordination with Defence Ministry and creation of a second line of defence involving gram rakshak dal, home guards and NCC.Perhaps with Akshardham in mind, the manifesto promises a new state commando force to counter terrorism and arming the state intelligence agency with latest devices.‘‘Some people are interested in ensuring that the situation in Gujarat becomes as bad as Kashmir, but we won’t let that happen,’’ Modi said in reply to a question on whether his party perceived Gujarat to be another Kashmir.Both Modi and Patel promised a law for religious independence that will seek to ban conversions by means of force or allurement.Interestingly, both Patel and Modi focused mainly on development, industrialisation and administration. On the other hand, the audio visual presentation that preceded the press conference, had begun with Modi’s favourite Gaurav Yatra phrase — ‘merchants of death’. On madarsas, Modi said the ‘‘Constitution guarantees primary education but madarsas deny that.’’ Their syllabus would be scrutinised and changes suggested to make the education consistent with Gujarat’s development in the 21st century. Among a host of schemes for education, the party has promised to establish a Sanskrit University, a Yoga University and an Ahimsa University.The party has also promised protection of cows, closing down of slaughter-houses within 10 km of pilgrim centres, denial of permission to new slaughter-houses and religious sops like one-way second-class train fare to pilgrims headed for Amarnath and Kumbh Mela. Some of the schemes are named Sudarshan Suraksha Kavach, Bajrang Yuva Utkarsha Yojana and Bhathiji Maharaj Ni Bhakti. The party also plans to have special projects for promotion of religious places like Unai, Zanzarka and Fagwel and modernise tourism activities. Taking care of an important criticism of the government by the Congress in its manifesto, the party has promised a cooperative act for protecting interest of depositors, strict action against defaulters, including directors and borrowers, and merger of weak cooperative banks or handing over of their management to a strong bank.The party has, of course, revived its promise to complete the Sardar Sarovar dam and the network of canals on time. Flights to every important country from Ahmedabad, fast-track establishment of new industries, labour law reforms, employment-oriented industries, coastal area development, development of diamond industry, incentives for foreign direct investment and steps to attract capital intensive industries like automobile, petro-chemicals and cement are other promises.
