New Delhi (PTI): The Congress launched a website and an email ID on Wednesday, inviting suggestions from the public for its manifesto for this year's Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a press conference here, P Chidambaram, who heads the Manifesto Committee of the Congress, said the party is holding consultations and seeking suggestions from the public for the manifesto. He said the manifesto for the Lok Sabha election will be a "people's manifesto".

"The present exercise is to receive suggestions from the members of the public. This will be a people's manifesto. So it is important to gather as many suggestions as possible in the few weeks available to us," Chidambaram said.

"We want to involve the people of India in making the manifesto. We hope people from every walk of life will give their suggestions. We appeal and invite you to give suggestions you would like to be incorporated in the manifesto to make it a people's manifesto," he added.

The former Union minister said at least one consultation will be held in each state. "The idea is to hold at least one consultation in each state. In some states, more than one public consultations may be held," he said.

Asked if their INDIA bloc allies will also be consulted, the Congress leader said anyone who wishes to attend the consultation is welcome, but a decision on holding discussions with allies on the manifesto will be taken by the party chief.

"If the ally parties of the INDIA group wish to attend the consultation, they are most welcome.... Whether there will be higher-level consultation will be for the Congress president to decide," Chidambaram said.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the suggestions can be given on the website -- awaazbharatki.in -- or by emailing to awaazbharatki@inc.in.

Convenor of the party's Manifesto Committee T S Singh Deo said the exercise is being carried out to ensure that the voice of people is reflected in the document.

"It is important to seek the suggestions of the stakeholders so that it does not remain merely an academic exercise," he said.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Mumbai (PTI): Police on Sunday detained some Aam Aadmi Party activists in Mumbai after they staged a demonstration against Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha, who has crossed over to the BJP, in Khar area.

Aam Aadmi Party's Mumbai unit president Preeti Sharma Menon claimed the police prevented AAP workers from protesting peacefully against "traitor" Chadha and detained local leader Ruben Mascharanhas.

A Khar Police official confirmed that Mascharanhas and some other activists have been taken to the police station, without elaborating.

"⁦@CPMumbaiPolice⁩ @mumbaipolice has no other work but to guard Raghav Chaddha’s Mumbai residence. @aapmumbai volunteers were prevented from protesting peacefully against the GADDAR. Ruben has been detained at the Khar Police Station. But BJP is allowed to block roads at their whim," Menon stated.

The AAP's Mumbai unit had planned a protest in the Khar area against Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha MPs of the party who recently joined the BJP.

"Without any detention order or any written communication, I have been taken to the Khar Police Station. Why is @MumbaiPolice so scared of @AAPMumbai's peaceful protest against 'Gaddar' Raghav Chaddha and Sandeep Pathak? We are @ArvindKejriwal's soldiers, we are not going to be cowed down," Mascharanhas said in another post.

The AAP suffered a jolt on Friday when seven of its Rajya Sabha members, including Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, quit the party, with Chadha saying all of them have merged with the BJP, asserting that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals.