In this 1984 speech, Charan Singh says, “I speak today to appeal to you to vote for the Lok Dal. If voted in power, we expect the more affluent sections of the people to accept sacrifices voluntarily. And if they do not do so, we will use the power of our organization as well as of the government in which we hope to participate not only to rouse the people and mobilize them, but also make the rich forego their riches.

The national resources will be spent not on television sets, air conditioners and cars for the rich, but on providing clean latrines for the village people particularly our women folk. Not on five-star hotels, but on projects for clean drinking water to more than one lakh villages which do not have this facility.

Ours is the only party which has a coherent social and economic philosophy that will force sacrifices on the rich and release resources for the quick ending of mass poverty, mass unemployment and vulgar inequalities of wealth and income. We wish to end the tragic situation whereby those who produce food go without food, those who build houses are homeless, those who produce or help produce clothes are going naked, while people who do not produce anything live in luxury.”