Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 17: The Congress on Sunday called for unity among citizens cutting across ideological and party lines to “overthrow” what it called “the dictatorial government in order to save democracy.”
In a resolution adopted on the concluding day of the two-day session of the extended Congress Working Committee in Hyderabad, the party while stating that it was prepared to face the Lok Sabha elections anytime it was held, expressed concern over the bill on the appointment of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners and said it was an attempt to severely compromise on holding of free and fair elections.
The resolution said the party was confident of support of the people to win the elections in all the five states slated in the next few months including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.
On the second day of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Hyderabad, the party’s national chief Mallikarjun Kharge asked all leaders and workers at all levels to meet people regularly and listen to their problems, as the party prepares the ground to fight the national election next year.
“This is not the time for us to rest. In the past 10 years under the BJP’s rule, the challenges faced by ordinary people have multiplied. The Prime Minister refuses to address the concerns of the poor, farmers, labourers, women and youth; instead, he cannot look beyond himself,” Mr Kharge said.
“In such circumstances, we cannot remain mute spectators. We must unite and overthrow this dictatorial government in order to save our democracy,” he said. Kharge noted that the foundation of democracy and the Constitution was laid by the Congress in the country and therefore the responsibility to protect it also lies with them.
Sonia Gandhi asked party leaders to maintain self-restraint and avoid going to the media with comments that could harm the Congress’s interests. The party has already released a list of journalists and media organisations with whom the Congress will not engage anymore.
“We must work tirelessly, putting aside personal interests. We must prioritise the success of the party, putting aside our personal differences… Only through unity and discipline we can defeat our adversaries. This was evident in Karnataka, where we remained united and fought with discipline to achieve success,” Mr Kharge said.
The CWC has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees. These include 15 women and several new faces such as Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot and Gaurav Gogoi. The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders also attended the CWC meet.
Giving a clarion call to remove the BJP from power in next year’s Lok Sabha election, Kharge asserted that it would be a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as 2024 marks the centenary of Gandhiji’s election as Congress president.
The deliberations on the second day of the extended CWC meeting mainly focused on the Lok Sabha poll and the Assembly elections to five States — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.
The former president Rahul Gandhi had asked party leaders to focus on people’s issues and maintain ideological clarity, while cautioning them against “walking into traps of the BJP.’
Addressing a press conference, party’s media and publicity department chief Pawan Khera said Rahul Gandhi called on leaders to heed the voice of ‘Bharat Mata’ to raise people’s issues. “He (Gandhi) laid specific stress on the need to have ideological clarity. He warned us against walking into irrelevant traps of the BJP. Most of the issues being raised by the BJP were not issues of the common man or woman or to any of us,” Gandhi said.
On the proposed CEC bill scheduled to be taken up for discussion at the special session of Parliament from Monday, the Congress said, “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,” it said.
