By IANS,
Amethi : Priyanka Gandhi, the daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Sunday described the Samajwadi Party’s election promise to curb English medium education and the use of computers, as strange and not in sync with the times.
“Bara ajeeb hai yeh manifesto ikkiswi sadi ka (This is a very strange manifesto coming in the 21st century),” she said when asked by reporters to comment on the Samajwadi Party manifesto, which has raised eyebrows.
“I would definitely like to meet the person who has prepared the party’s manifesto,” Priyanka told reporters in Amethi after addressing a public meeting. She is campaigning for her mother and brother Rahul Gandhi in their constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi.
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav after releasing the party manifesto Saturday said: “The party is against English medium education and the use of computers and will work to ensure that they are curbed if a government is formed with its support.”
“The use of computers in offices is creating unemployment problems. Our party feels that if work can be done by a person using hands there is no need to deploy machines,” Mulayam Singh said at a press conference.
To a question on her joining politics, Priyanka said she did not discount the possibility in the future. “As I am growing older, I have understood that ‘never’ is a bad word. I am not going to say ‘never’… but I don’t think that is what I want to do.”
“I am here to campaign for my mother and brother but have no political ambitions as yet.”
Priyanka also termed Manmohan Singh as a capable prime minister.
“He (Singh) is hopefully the next prime minister of the country and Rahul is also a capable and responsible Congress worker,” she said while replying to a question.
Attacking the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh, she said: “The state government has not at all helped in implementation of any central government schemes and a glaring example is the hurdles created in (the setting up of) the rail coach factory (in Rae Bareli).”
She appealed to the people to cast their vote with responsibility. “I am younger to you and would request you to cast your vote for your benefit. The future of your children lies in your hand and you should be responsible enough to exercise your right.”