Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said incidents of violence were tarnishing the image of a progressive and secular India and alleged the BJP was adding "fuel to fire".
Mallikarjun Kharge addresses the first meeting of reconstituted CWC
In his opening remarks at the first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) here, Kharge also referred to the upcoming special session of Parliament to caution party workers of the government's "intentions" and alleged that "it wants a Parliament without the opposition".
He also said the party demands an immediate start of the 2021 Census process along with a caste census and ensure that the rights of deprived sections of society are safeguarded in sectors such as health, education, employment and food security.
Asserting that the Congress has been playing the role of the main opposition for the last decade, he claimed the party has forced the Narendra Modi government to take many important decisions in the interest of the common people.
"Today, the country is facing many serious internal challenges. The whole world witnessed the heart-wrenching incidents in Manipur. Violence has been continuing there since May. The Modi government ensured that the fire of Manipur violence reached Nuh in Haryana. Due to incidents of violence there, communal tension spread in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi," Kharge alleged.
"These incidents tarnish the image of modern, progressive and secular India. In these circumstances, the ruling party, communal organisations and a section of the media are adding fuel to the fire. It destroys the secular fabric of the country. We have to together identify and expose such forces," the Congress chief asserted.
Talking about the upcoming five-day special session of Parliament beginning Monday, he said that after a long suspense, the session's agenda has come out and the main one is the government's move to have "complete control" over the Election Commission.
"We have to be cautious about the intentions of the ruling party. This government wants a Parliament without the opposition. They do not want any MP, media or common people to ask questions," Kharge alleged at the meeting.
"We also strongly condemn the government's attempts to stifle the opposition in Parliament and curtail public scrutiny in House," the Congress chief said.
Kharge claimed the success of the three meetings of the INDIA bloc can be gauged from the attacks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders.
As the alliance progresses further, their attacks will intensify, he told Congress workers, adding that the 27 INDIA bloc parties stand together on fundamental issues of importance.
After three successful meetings, the opposition alliance is forging ahead to combat the "anti-people and anti-democratic BJP government", Kharge said while claiming that the BJP dispensation is perturbed by this development and is resorting to vindictive action against opposition parties.
"After the Mumbai meeting of the INDIA bloc, the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax department and the CBI have been deployed by the government as part of political vendetta against opposition leaders," he said.
Alleging that the government is engrossed in self-praise after the G-20 event, the Congress chief said Rs 4,000 crore was spent in Delhi on the G-20 summit whose presidency, held by rotation, is now with Brazil.
He also quoted former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Hyderabad convention of the All India Congress Committee in 1953 to underline that India's status in the world began to rise from that period itself.
Kharge described the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', 'USD 5 trillion economy', 'New India 2022', 'Amritkaal' and 'third-largest economy' slogans of the Modi government as "empty words".
These are hollow words meant to distract the country from the government's complete failure in controlling inflation, unemployment, raging violence in Manipur, widening inequality, and declining condition of farmers and labourers, the Congress chief claimed.
He also reemphasised the Congress' commitment to protect the Constitution, the country's democracy and the rights of marginalised communities.
The country's economy is in grave danger with the rise in prices of all essential commodities adversely affecting the lives of the common people, Kharge claimed and accused the Modi government of handing over prized PSUs built since Independence "to a few crony-capitalist friends".
"On the national security front, the government's negligence regarding China's encroachments poses a critical danger to the country's security. However, ignoring all these fundamental issues, the Modi government tends to repeatedly deflect and divert attention from real issues with empty slogans," the Congress chief said.
What did P Chidambaram say?
Briefing the media after hours of brainstorming at the first meeting of the Working Committee under Mallikarjun Kharge's presidency, Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Jairam Ramesh said the deliberations are still underway and the CWC would come out with a resolution soon.
"In the CWC, we are discussing the situation in the country, broadly the political situation, the economic crises that the country faces and the security threats (both internal and external) that pose grave challenges to the country," Chidambaram said.
"We believe there is a challenge to the constitutional and federal structure of the country," he alleged referring to the political situation in the country.
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He said there are security challenges in Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, and, in addition to that, there is the Chinese challenge on our borders.
"The Chinese are standing firm in opposition despite numerous talks at various levels. What happened to the brave words, 'status quo ante'? On the contrary, the status quo is changing every day. We are losing territory, and the Chinese are maintaining or holding the territory," Chidambaram alleged.
Referring to June 19 statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that no one has entered into Indian territory, he said, Modi's claim has encouraged China to maintain its "stubborn position" of not retreating an inch.
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He alleged that Manipur is facing unrest and the prime minister does not seem to have time to visit the state even for two hours while he has visited many nations in quick succession.
On Kashmir Chidambaram said, "What we see is far from normalcy. Certainly Kashmir is nowhere near normal. There is comprehensive failure of the prime minister and the home minister."
Asked about the 'One nation one election' issue, he said, it is an "assault" on the Constitution and "we reject it".
He noted that it will require five Constitutional amendments on the 'one nation one election' issue and the BJP does not have that kind of majority to do so.
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"We reject this one nation one election," he asserted.
Chidambaram also accused the Modi government of not giving their due and cited the examples of Karnataka's promise of rice where the FCI has been refused to give rice to Karnataka.
He said the second example is Himachal Pradesh where assistance is not being provided and the devastation caused by the floors and landslides in the hill state has not been declared a national disaster.
"Even a child would know why obstacles are being laid in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. It is only because the BJP lost elections in these two states," Chidambaram said, referring to the central government not assisting them.
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Talking about the economic crises, he said for several months now, the RBI has been increasing the interest rate, citing inflation.
"There is every indication that it will increase the interest rate again. Retail inflation on many commodities is near or has crossed double digits," he noted.
He said while food inflation is over 10 percent, the government has no explanation to offer. The wholesale price index is falling, but retail prices are rising, he alleged.
Chidambaram said unemployment is close to 8.5 percent and monthly exports have declined.
"Several indicators are pointing towards a grave crisis. We have inflation, unemployment, slowing growth, falling exports and imports," he said.
