National Press Release – to be released across India [Word version]

27 September 2016 – for immediate release

Mr Sanjay Sonawani, President of Swarna Bharat Party, said that he wrote an Open Letter to Prime Minister Mr Modi on 26 August 2016 asking him to double funding for the police and ten times for the judiciary. SBP provided detailed reasons why this is necessary, as well as photographs of the deplorable conditions that our police and judicial systems face on the ground.

In its letter to PM, SBP also showed how these additional funds can be obtained, mainly by divesting public sector undertakings. SBP said that there is no reason for a government to operate businesses and run banks. But only recently we heard that ITDC has opened its 10th duty free shop. The Modi government is more interested in selling duty free liquor and cigarettes than in governing.

SBP had also asked the PM in its Open Letter to implement a range of essential reforms to ensure that India’s governance system and policies are consistent with liberty and world-best practice. That is the only way forward India to get out of its Third World corruption and poor performance. The results of India’s chronic misgovernance face us every day, at each step.

Essential governance reforms include state funding of elections on a per vote basis to allow honest people to contest elections, and elimination of the guarantee of tenure for senior bureaucrats. The government must be held to account for results. And we need to urgently strengthen India’s defence.

Mr Sonawani said that the party's Open Letter was sent by courier to the PM. The letter gave the PM till 26 September 2016 to declare his agreement to implement all reforms listed in SBP’s manifesto.

The party keenly waited till yesterday but no response was received. In the letter we had written: “Should you choose not to implement these demands, we will infer that you have no intention to implement governance reforms and that you do not care about India’s development.”

It appears that the Modi government does not care about governance or development. With regret, the Party is now forced to launch a national movement for good governance from 2 October 2016. We will march at 2 pm from Raj Ghat to Delhi Police HQ. Well over a hundred people will participate. The Party has informed Delhi Police of this event and invites everyone to join. It also invites the media to cover this occasion.

Mr Sanjay Sonawani invited the people of India to demand these reforms from wherever they are located. There is no reason for government to run business. It should perform its core functions. And it should implement world-best reforms to India’s governance system, as listed in SBP’s manifesto.

End

Notes for Editors

SBP is India’s only liberal party, committed to defending liberty and promoting prosperity.

Contacts:

Sanjay Sonawani (Pune), National President, +91 9860991205

Alok Kumar (Ghaziabad), National Vice President and President UP State Unit, +91 9999755334

 

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