CWC Hyderabad meeting day 2: Several Congress leaders express 'displeasure' against AAP

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting being held in Telangana will moved to its second and final day on Sunday (September 17) as the grand-old party continues its deliberations ahead of the state Assembly polls and other issues concerning the party.

According to sources, several leaders expressed their displeasure over the Aam Aadmi Party's activities.

"Chhattisgarh Screening Committee Chairman Ajay Maken and other CWC leader Alka Lamba said that Arvind Kejriwal is calling Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh corrupt. In such a situation, it is not justified for Congress to remain silent only because it is a part of the I.N.D.I. alliance," sources said.

In the meeting, the presidents of the poll-bound states gave a presentation regarding the election preparations in their respective states, sources added.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stressed on organisational unity and discipline to defeat the BJP.

"Organisational unity is of utmost importance; only through unity, and discipline can we defeat our adversaries as seen in Karnataka," he said at the meeting.

Kharge asked the leaders to exercise self-restraint to avoid harming the interests of the party.

"We must exercise self-restraint, and avoid going to media with statements against our leaders so that party's interests are not harmed. Must work tirelessly putting aside personal interests, prioritise success of party keeping aside differences," he said.

The first day of the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC saw the adoption of a resolution that touched upon various issues including unemployment in the country, price-rise, and caste-based census.

Top leaders of the Congress party including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi, were present at the meeting along with other CWC members.

Ahead of the Day 2 meeting, Congress leader Manickam Tagore said that the working committee discussed the political situation and came out with 14 main resolutions.

"For six hours (yesterday), the working committee met and discussed the political situation, security situation and economic situation. We have come out with 14 main resolutions, and Congress has demanded for women's reservation to be implemented in Parliament and Assemblies," he said.

Karnataka Congress chief and state Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that the only agenda of the party is to register a win in the Telangana Assembly polls due later this year.

"The only agenda is that INDIA has to win and Congress party in Telangana has to win," he said.

On the evening of September 17, which is celebrated as Telangana National Integration Day, the party will hold a mega rally near Hyderabad, where it will announce six guarantees for the Telangana assembly election, KC Venugopal said.

"Tomorrow at 2:30 pm, we will hold the first CWC meeting. Congress President will be present. Former Congress Presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and all other Working Committee Members including permanent invitees and special invitees will participate. We have invited 90 people, but six of them have informed us about their inability due to personal difficulties to attend. All other 84 people will attend, including our four chief ministers," Venugopal said on Saturday.

What happened on Day 1?

According to sources, Rahul Gandhi, during the meeting on Day 1, said that they shouldn't fall into the trap of BJP's narrative and must stand by the poor.

Sonia Gandhi said that everyone needs to remain united and work together with the I.N.D.I.A. alliance, sources said.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that there is a need to remain cautious on issues like Sanatana, in view of the upcoming assembly elections in five states.

The conduct of the CWC meeting in Telangana is seen as an attempt to boost the party's campaign in the poll-bound state and send out a clear message that it would go all-out to oust the BRS government in this year's assembly elections.

Congress PC after CWC meeting Day 1

The party held a press conference on Saturday evening in which Jairam Ramesh, P Chidambaram, and Pawan Khera spoke to the media.

P Chidambaram dubbed the idea of ‘One Nation, One Election’ being projected by the Centre an “assault on the Constitution” and said that the party rejects it.

“The One Nation, One Election is an assault on the Constitution. We reject it. It is an attack on Federalism. It will require at least five Constitutional amendments. The BJP knows that it does not have the numbers to pass these Constitutional amendments. Yet if it puts forward this mirage of One Nation, One Election, it is only to divert attention from the pressing issues and to create a false narrative,” the Congress MP said.

What are the resolutions?

1. At the very outset, the Congress Working Committee extends its deepest sympathies to the families of our brave army and police officers and personnel who have been martyred in Jammu & Kashmir. It is inexcusable and an insult to their sacrifice that while this tragedy was unfolding and the nation mourning, the BJP and the Prime Minister were indulging in a celebratory extravaganza in the national capital congratulating themselves on G20.
2. The CWC wishes to place on record its deepest appreciation of Mallikarjun Kharge-ji’s contributions as Congress President over the past year. He has been an inspirational leader and an uncompromising voice for social justice and empowerment, and for his efforts to preserve and protect the country’s Constitution from the assaults of the Modi Government. He has been fearlessly and relentlessly holding the Prime Minister to account for his anti-people priorities, policies and programmes.
3. The CWC also proudly celebrates the first anniversary of the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi—a transformational moment in the nation’s politics—to unite the people against the forces that are dividing India; to raise the voices of the people against growing inequality, falling incomes, rising youth unemployment and the sky-high prices of essential commodities;  and to resist the growing authoritarianism, the capture of democratic institutions and the attack on our federal structure. The CWC resolves that our party organisation at all levels will continue to take forward the spirit, sentiment and purpose of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and keep it alive in every part of our country. The CWC also notes that it is abundantly clear that the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament was an act of political vendetta by the Prime Minister, and expresses deep satisfaction in his restoration to the position as truth and justice has triumphed.
4. The CWC expresses its deep anguish on the total breakdown of the Constitutional machinery in Manipur and the continuing violence. After more than four months, the state is bitterly divided due to the BJP’s polarisation agenda.  The silence and neglect of the Prime Minister, the failure of the Home Minister and the intransigence of the Chief Minister have led to an unprecedented situation where there are repeated clashes between the security forces and civilians and between the Army/Assam Rifles and the state police force. The sparks from Manipur are now threatening to spread to the wider North-Eastern region. The CWC reiterates the demand of the Congress party for the immediate removal of the Chief Minister and imposition of President’s Rule. The CWC also urges that all possible steps be taken to recover looted arms and ammunition, restore public order, alleviate the humanitarian crisis affecting thousands of besieged people and internal refugees, and establish a framework for dialogue among different groups of the people.
5. The CWC wishes to recall that, in his first Independence Day speech, the Prime Minister had called for a 10-year moratorium on casteism, communalism and regionalism. Ironically, the three evils have aggravated in the last nine years thanks to the divisive and discriminatory policies adopted by the Prime Minister, his government and his party. He has not acted against the those who committed atrocities against the poor and vulnerable people, especially women, minorities, Dalits and Adivasis.   The political discourse of the BJP, inside and outside Parliament, is laced with poison, promotes hate speech and violence, encourages divisive forces, and polarises society.  The BJP’s leaders and spokespersons have belittled and distorted the contributions of past prime ministers, especially Jawaharlal Nehru. Investigating agencies have been misused to target political leaders and carry on a political vendetta against them. The BJP government has practically destroyed the principles and practices of cooperative federalism. 
6. The CWC reminds the Modi government of the commitments it made to the farmers and farmers’ organizations on the issue of MSP and other demands.  Farmers are burdened with growing debt. Agriculture and the rural economy are in deep distress. MSMEs are languishing since the blow of Demonetisation and due to the lack of support from the government.  Export markets have shrunk and exports have declined. The engines of investment and consumption are sluggish and have failed to revive the economy. The economic outlook remains bleak.  The sole concern of the government seems to be headline management. 
7. The CWC expresses its grave concern at  increasing unemployment and continuous rise in prices, especially  of essential commodities. The Prime Minister’s so-called Rozgar Melas are a hoax to cover up the abject failure to create, as promised, two crore jobs a year.  The failure to conduct the decennial Census, due in 2021, is  a national and an international shame. One of the consequences is that an estimated 14 crore of the poorest Indians are denied their entitlement to food rations since ration cards are issued on the basis of the 2011 Census. The CWC also underlines the stubborn refusal of the Modi government to conduct a Caste Census This  refusal in the face of a universal demand has exposed the BJP’s lack of commitment to social and economic justice and its bias against the backward classes, Dalits and tribal people. In this context, the CWC also calls for increasing the existing upper limit of reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs.  
8. The CWC summarily rejects the call for a new Constitution and the mischievous argument that the basic structure of the Constitution can be changed. The Modi government’s assault on the Constitution must be condemned and resisted by all democratic forces to safeguard the foundational ideas of the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar and his compatriots.  The Constitution  reflects the values of the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress.  The CWC also calls out the hypocrisy and duplicity of the Modi government which showcases to the world the symbolism of Mahatma Gandhi  while giving a free hand to those who defame him and defile his legacy. 
9. Parliamentary debate and scrutiny have all but disappeared  and far-reaching legislation is hurriedly pushed through without proper scrutiny and discussion. The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment etc) Bill introduced in Parliament will severely compromise the independence of the Election Commission to conduct free and fair elections. A special Session of Parliament is called all of a sudden. The Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party Smt. Sonia Gandhiji wrote to the Prime Minister identifying nine pressing issues of public concern and importance that need to be debated in this special session. The CWC thanks her for this initiative and also for the continuing interest she is taking in the strengthening of the party organisation. The CWC also dcmands that the Women’s Reservation Bill be passed during the special session. 
10. The CWC reiterates its demand for a JPC into the startling revelations that have been made and continue to be made on the transactions of the Adani business group that has been the prime beneficiary of the Prime Minister’s close friendship and the government’s biased policies and administrative largesse. 
11. The ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal is yet another brazen attack on the federal structure of the country.  The Modi government has systematically undermined federalism through overriding legislation, reduction in the States’ share of tax revenues, misuse of the office of Governor, creating roadblocks in implementing schemes and programmes in Opposition-governed states (like it has happened in regard to the food security guarantee in Karnataka), and denying emergency funds and disaster relief to states (like Himachal Pradesh that has been hit by floods and landslides). 
12. The CWC unequivocally condemns the incursions by China into Indian-held territory and the repeated provocations such as publishing maps that include Arunachal Pradesh and other parts of India.  Most unfortunately, the Prime Minister’s clean chit to China on 19th June, 2020 and his continued refusal to admit the loss of territory have misled the country, belittled the sacrifices of our jawans, and emboldened  China to continue with its transgressions.  The CWC calls upon the government to come clean on the border dispute with China and take a resolute stand against any challenge to the territorial integrity of India. 
13. The CWC stands with  the people of our country  for communal harmony, social and  economic fraternity, the fulfilment of the aspirations of youth, and  for a strong, proud and respected nation enjoying an honoured place in the international community. The CWC pledges to restore a nation of which every Indian, irrespective of caste or religion, whether rich or poor, young or old, can be proud. 
14. Finally, the CWC wholeheartedly welcomes the continuing consolidation of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). This has already rattled the Prime Minister and the BJP. The CWC reiterates the Congress party’s resolve to make the INDIA initiative an ideological and electoral success so that our country is freed from divisive and polarising politics, the forces of social equity and justice are strengthened, and the people get a Union Government that is responsible, responsive, sensitive, transparent and accountable.

(With inputs from agencies)

ALSO READ | Don't fall for BJP's narrative, remain cautious on Sanatan issue, Cong leaders in CWC meet: Sources

ALSO READ | One Nation, One Election is assault on the Constitution: Chidambaram after CWC meeting

Latest India News