CWC meeting: Congress chalks out resolution on political situation in country
The CWC is alarmed by the rapid deterioration in the security of the country — both external and internal.
FollowThe Congress Working Committee has reviewed the political situation in the country. The CWC is deeply distressed to note the multiple challenges that face the country and the all-round failure of the Modi government in dealing with these challenges. In fact, the catastrophic policies of the Modi government have exacerbated the situation and have placed enormous burdens on the people of the country.
The CWC is alarmed by the rapid deterioration in the security of the country — both external and internal. Nearly 18 months after the clashes in Ladakh in which 20 soldiers lost their lives, Chinese troops continue to be in occupation of Indian territory. Despite multiple rounds of talks, China has not vacated Indian territory; nor have we been able to recover our old positions. The aggressive posture of China and the unabated infiltrations by Pakistan have resulted in a dramatic deterioration of the security of Jammu & Kashmir. After the change in regime in Afghanistan and the takeover by the Taliban, the situation is evengraver, but the Government remains oblivious or in deep slumber.Terrorist attacks have increased and both security forces and innocent citizens have lost their lives. The administration of J&K, or whatever goes in the name of administration, is incompetent, paralyzed and in a shambles. The way forward is restoration of full statehood and holding democratic elections.
In other parts of the country, notably in Assam, Nagaland and Mizoram, there are growing threats to security. Inter-state disputes have flared up suddenly driving fear in the minds of the people living in the border villages. The Naga peace talks have suffered a serious setback due to the ham-handed approach of the Modi government.
Drug trafficking has assumed monstrous proportions. The seizure of 3,000 kgs of heroin at Adani Port, Gujarat, following reports of another large consignment that was successfully ‘imported’ into India, gives an indication of the huge dimensions of the illegal trade that seems to have flourished under the watch of the Modi government.
The continued slide in the economy is a matter of great concern. After the sharp decline in 2020-21, the Modi government boasted of a V-shaped recovery. All signs point to an uneven and struggling recovery in different sectors. The jobs that were lost during the recession and the pandemic have not been recovered; the micro and small units that were shut down have not been re-started. Millions of families face the twin hardships of unemployment and high prices.
The agitation by farmers against the three black laws on agriculture continues after 10 months. A government imbued with arrogance has refused to engage the farmers in talks and has stood as a mere bystander, while the police and rogue elements in the BJP have unleashed violence upon them. The tragic incident at Lakhimpur Kheri is a clear example of official support to the attempt to suppress the voice of the farmers. The refusal of the Prime Minister to condemn the brutal murder of the farmers and to sack the Minister of State for Home Affairs have shocked the conscience of the country.
The Congress Party has noted with grave concern the notifications issued by the Central Government empowering the officers of Central Security Forces to search any place and arrest, as also search any person in the purported exercise of powers to prevent a cognizable offence under any Central Act. This is a dangerous encroachment on the exclusive power of the states and the powers of the state police. The Congress Party will consult all stakeholders and other political parties as well as state governments and formulate a course of action to compel the Modi Government to repeal these notifications.
The Congress Working Committee also notes the unbridled and unchecked state sponsored attacks on Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities and women, in order to intimidate them and deny them their rights. Congress Party will fight all such lumpen elements courageously and decisively and defend the rights of all our citizens.
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The country’s financial situation is in terrible shape. The Modi government has no compunction in running the government on revenues raised through crushing taxes imposed on petrol and diesel. In order to hide the precarious state of its finances, the Modi government has launched a fire sale of the assets built in this country over 70 years. It is widely believed that the most valuable among these assets in ports, airports, petroleum, power and telecommunications will be sold to select business houses that are cronies of the Modi government.
The assault on democratic institutions completes the sad and shameless narrative of the Modi government. India is no longer regarded as a democracy, it has earned the label of an electoral autocracy. Parliament has been contemptuously disregarded. The judiciary has been debilitated by not filling vacancies in the courts and tribunals. Independent watchdog bodies like the Information Commission, Election Commission and the Human Rights Commission have been debased and rendered virtual ciphers. The media has been threatened into meek submission through raids and false cases. Non-government organizations (NGOs) have been intimidated and their welfare activities have been halted. The government’s agencies have been widely misused to suppress the voice of the people. The government has surreptitiously used malicious spyware to intrude into the lives of the people. Every aspect of democracy has been diminished. The Congress Party will resist every sinister attempt to convert the country into a surveillance and police state. Under the Modi government, the Constitutional promise of Liberty and Justice for all has receded into a vain hope.
The CWC believes that it is its duty to sound the alarm bells. We do so and call upon all democratic parties and forces to join hands to resolutely oppose the Modi government in order to protect the values on which our country was founded and to advance the causes of the people.
