TN sop opera: BJP also offers laptops,milk for newborns

They included free laptops for Class XI and XII and college students.

Terming the freebies offered by the Dravidian majors as empty rhetoric in which it has no interest,the BJP released its manifesto for the coming Assembly polls,with its own set of offers.

They included free laptops for Class XI and XII and college students; pens and pencils twice an academic year; free medical check-up once a year for the poor,and sanitary napkins for all women.

Releasing the manifesto on Saturday,BJP leader Bangaru Laxman ridiculed the mixer-grinder-laptop offers of the DMK and the AIADMK,terming it as empty rhetoric to garner votes after failing to address real issues faced by the public. BJPs state chief Pon Radhakrishnan said its offer was an honest and transparent government,and that the BJP was not interested in providing freebies.

However,the document that was released toed the major parties line of providing free laptop for students. The Tamil version of the document also contained an offer to provide milk for a year to newborns and their mothers from BPL families. This was not there in the English version.

When asked,Radhakrishnan defended the offers,claiming these were not freebies but steps to encourage students to perform better.

Yoga and meditation will be taught in schools. All educational institutions will be given the special concessions now enjoyed by minority institutions,the party said.

Among the other promises are: Reservation will be restricted to Hindu Dalits and will not be extended to Dalits who have converted to Christianity; scrapping religion-based quota (provided to Muslims); law against forcible conversion; ban on cow slaughter and their transportation for this purpose; alternative route for Setu Channel; independent board for administration of temples and salary for priests.