Kejriwal Announces Seven-Point Manifesto to Empower Middle Class, Calls for End to Tax Burdens

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New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday launched a seven-point “manifesto” aimed at addressing the long-neglected concerns of the country’s middle class. Calling them the “real superpower of the Indian economy,” Kejriwal accused successive governments of exploiting the middle class as a mere source of tax revenue and vowed to end what he termed “tax terrorism.”

In a video message, Kejriwal outlined a comprehensive charter to ease financial and systemic burdens on middle-class households. Among his key proposals was a call to increase the education budget from the current 2 percent to 10 percent of the GDP, cap private school fees, and provide subsidies and scholarships for higher education to ensure accessibility for all.

For healthcare, Kejriwal demanded that spending be raised to 10 percent of the GDP and taxes on health insurance premiums be abolished. “Affordable and quality healthcare is a fundamental right, and the middle class should not be burdened with excessive costs,” he said.

The AAP chief also proposed increasing the income tax exemption limit from ₹7 lakh to ₹10 lakh, arguing that middle-class families face disproportionate financial stress. He further advocated for removing GST on essential goods, which he claimed unfairly impacts middle-class households.

Retirement benefits were another focal point, with Kejriwal calling for free healthcare for senior citizens in both private and government hospitals and the reinstatement of the 50 percent concession on train fares for the elderly, which was discontinued in recent years.

Criticizing other political parties for ignoring the middle class since independence, Kejriwal stated, “The middle class has been reduced to a slave mindset by successive governments. It is time to prioritize their needs and give them their rightful place in the nation’s progress.”

He pledged that AAP MPs would advocate for middle-class issues in the upcoming parliamentary sessions, ensuring their voices are heard.

The announcement comes weeks ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 5, with results to be declared on February 8. Kejriwal’s manifesto is being seen as a strategic move to consolidate support from middle-class voters in the capital.

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