New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday approved schedule for the organisational elections of the party while expressing its concern over the atmosphere of tension and fear under the rule of the NDA Government at the Centre.
The meeting of the CWC, chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi also held discussions on the coming elections to the President and the Vice President of India. It has already been decided to form a sub-group comprising of representatives from the party which will establish coordination with various Opposition parties in an effort to arrive at a joint candidate of the United non-BJP Opposition parties to give a tough competition to the NDA nominees for the elections.
Addressing reporters about the proceedings at the CWC, senior leader and leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said, ”the Congress Working Committee meeting at 10 Janpath, presided over by the Congress President, saw presence of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, senior leaders AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Mukul Wasnik and almost every Member of the CWC. “We also discussed and approved the schedule for the organisational elections. The upcoming election of the President and Vice President of India was briefly discussed because very recently we had an All-Party meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi hosting a lunch for the senior leaders and party functionaries of the Opposition Parties in Parliament.” Addresing the meeting, Mrs Gandhi, launching a sharp attack on the NDA Government at the Centre, said that there was growing confrontation, tension and fear under the current regime unlike the relative calm that existed during the rule of the previous UPA Government at the Centre.
”The Modi Government has just completed three years in office. Where there was harmony, there is discord. Whwre there was tolerance, there is provocation. Where there was relative calm, as in Kashmir, there is growing confrontation, tension and fear.”
“Where there was economic potential, there is stagnation. Where there was rich diversity, there is a brazen campaign to strait jacket the whole country into a regressive and narrow minded world view,” Gandhi said in her opening address.
The Congress president said that the three years of the Modi Government had witnessed the harassment of women, Dalits, Adivasis and minorities as well as the stifling of the voices of those who expressed dissent with the policies of the Government. She also expressed her concern over the rise in incidents of mob lynching.
”Women, Dalits, Adivasis, minorities and other oppressed people are witnessing perilous times. Divisive issues are being whipped up, and there is an assault on livelihoods and food habits of those who follow different tenets and beliefs.”
The Government is using the power of the State to stifle voices that express different thoughts and idea, or speak out for alternative policies and philosophies, Whether it is politicians, institutions, civil society or the media, there is growing intolerance and active prosecution of divergent voices in blatant disregard of the law of the land. (UNI)
