In Gujarat Meet, Congress Pitches For Quota In Private Educational Institutions

The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP-led government of a "relentless systematic and conspiratorial attack" on India's constitutional institutions as it talked of changes in the party's organisational structure by empowering district units with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge stating that those who cannot work for the party should take rest and those who can't discharge their duties should retire.

The 'Nyay Path' resolution adopted at the AICC session here came down heavily on the BJP-led government, accusing it of "failure on economy, foreign affairs and betrayal with the farmers".

It called for reservation for OBCs, STs and SCs in private educational institutions and said this should be implemented without delay.

The party accused BJP-led government of being "weak-kneed" and said successive Congress Governments enhanced India's global stature and demonstrated leadership on the world stage through a principled and visionary foreign policy.

"Our governments' foreign policy was always centred around protection of India's interests, global balance of power, finding solutions through mutual harmony and dialogue, international cooperation and peaceful resolution of disputes", it said, and alleged that the BJP-led government "compromised India's foreign policy at the altar of 'individual branding and serving 'vested interests,'".

Congress said it believes that India's foreign policy can't be an instrument of divisive politics for the domestic political agenda "as is being done by the BJP government".

The party said that China has illegally occupied thousands of square kilometres of Indian territory in Eastern Ladakh, yet the current BJP Government, founded upon the rhetoric of showing "'lal aankh' has utterly failed to restore the status quo ante, as it existed prior to April 2020".

It referred to the proposed construction of the world's largest dam by China on the Brahmaputra River, saying, it is an alarming development, particularly for Assam and other Northeastern States.

The resolution expressed serious concern over the rise of radical elements in neighbouring Bangladesh saying, it has already created an unsafe environment for religious minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists and Christians.

Referring to Middle East crisis, the resolution said, the unfolding of the large-scale humanitarian tragedy, kidnappings and consequent bombings and thousands of deaths of innocents in Gaza in the Palestine-Israel conflict have met with a "studied silence" from the BJP-led government. It reiterated and reaffirmed Congress Party's policy for a negotiated and peaceful resolution as also for the creation of a separate state of Palestine. .

On Indo-US relations, the resolution maintained that the Indian National Congress remains a strong votary of close ties between India and the United States, but it can never happen at the expense of India's national interests.

"During the Prime Minister's visit to Washington, DC, we were publicly insulted in PM's presence and our country was labelled as a 'tariff abuser'", it noted while pointing out, "Indian migrants were treated like animals and deported from the United States in chains and handcuffs".

The resolution pointed out that reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US on India will severely impact "our foreign trade". It said the US is pressing for reduction of import duties on American goods, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and horticulture, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals. "This would deal a serious blow not only to Indian farmers but also to our dynamic domestic automobile and pharmaceutical industries," the resolution noted.

The resolution called upon the government to undertake a constructive negotiation with the US on tariffs "by placing our national interests first and after taking into confidence all political parties and stakeholders".

On agriculture, the Congress reaffirmed its commitment to legal guarantee of MSP. It said the Congress Party has been the harbinger of pro farmer's policies and decisions, be it the path breaking policy of providing 'Minimum Support Price' for crops post-independence or ushering in a new dawn of 'Green Revolution' and 'White Revolution'.

"The Indian National Congress resolves to enact a law for legal guarantee of MSP, fixation of MSP at 50% over cost price and take decisive steps for a debt-free future for our farmers", the resolution noted.

The resolution alleged "sinking economy" and "rising economic injustice" in the country, saying it is "recipe for disaster". It said the policy of "economic liberalisation" with "inclusive growth" espoused by the Congress Governments had provided a sound economic edifice for the nation.

It said, between the years 2004 and 2014, India achieved a remarkable average GDP growth rate of 8% per annum under the sagacious leadership of the Dr. Manmohan Singh-led Congress Government. "During this period, 27 crore fellow Indians were lifted out of poverty and a prosperous middle class comprising of nearly 40 crore people materialised as an important participant in our growth story," the resolution said.

"In stark disparity, the past decade of the current ruling regime has witnessed the bulldozing of the rights-based paradigm to subserve the economic interests of a handful of crony capitalist friends," it added.

The Congress said that the refusal to conduct Census after 2011 has led to denial of "Right to Food" to 11 crore people. "One per cent of the richest Indians own over 40% of the country's wealth. Wealth disparity is so extreme that 10% of richest Indians now own 70% of the nation's wealth. Tragically, the bottom 50% of the poor and the middle class possess only 6.4% of the nation's wealth," it added.

The resolution observed that the "gravely flawed economic policies have broken the back of the common man".

"The soaring prices of essential goods have made them unaffordable for crores of ordinary households. The backbreaking LPG Gas cylinder hike of Rs 50 has put an additional burden of over Rs 9,000 crore per year on the households. On top of it, increase in the excise duty of petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre, with a view to deny the benefit of reduced petrol/diesel prices to common man emanating from unprecedented fall in the price of crude oil to USD 65 per barrel (lowest in last 5 years) is a brazen 'loot' by an extortionist government," it said.

The Congress alleged that unemployment has touched a 45-year high. "Nearly 30 lakh government jobs are lying vacant. Resultantly, our 'demographic dividend' is turning into 'demographic disaster' with our literate but unemployed young men and women being driven towards drugs and psychotropic substances owing to lack of opportunities."

The resolution said that 2025 has been declared as a year of organisational empowerment in the special CWC meeting convened in Belagavi. "We are committed to strengthen our organisation in this year to take on and defeat the most arrogant, unjust and oppressive forces," it said.

In his remarks, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the party is fighting the second war of independence and the fight is against the enemies like communalism, injustice, inequality, poverty and discrimination.

He said earlier injustice, inequality and poverty were promoted and resorted to by the foreign rulers "but now it is our own government which is doing that".

"At that time the foreign government took advantage of communalism and now it is our own government which is taking advantage. But we will win this war.. Our constitutional values and constitutional institutions are continuously under attack," he remarked.

Mr Kharge pointed out, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak during the Budget Session though Speaker had taken his name. "What is happening today, never ever happened in the past," he noted, adding, "instead of debating important issues, government is resorting to polarisation".

He pointed out that the US imposed a 26 percent tariff on Indian imports and the matter should have been debated in the parliament, but the government did not do that.

Mr Kharge observed that monopolies were being created in the country and said that public sector undertakings were being privatised. "By selling PSUs, government has denied lakhs of permanent jobs to youth and also denied reservation benefits to the SCs, STs, OBCs and the EWS people from the general category," the party said.

Speaking about the malpractices in elections, he alleged that Election Commission of India was not prepared to entertain complaints of the opposition parties. He raised questions over voter list for Maharashtra polls and said while the world was moving towards the 'ballot papers', the ECI is refusing to take note of it.

Mr Kharge said 15 lakh well-to-do Indians have migrated and settled abroad.

"Those going abroad to seek jobs due to unemployment here, were sent back in chains, while those who looted banks here were comfortably staying abroad," he alleged.

He accused the BJP-led government of discriminating with non-BJP ruled states. Referring to judgement by the Supreme Court on the role of Governors, he said, he said, now they (governors) cannot sit over the decisions of the elected governments.

The Congress president alleged "communalisation and commercialisaton of education". He also alleged that labour laws were being weakened and trade unions crushed.

Taking a dig at the government's slogan of "Make in India", he disclosed that by the government's own admission, five lakh medium and small enterprise units had shut down during the last five years.

Referring to inflation, he said, day-to-day survival of the common man had become difficult. While exhorting the Congress workers to work hard, he said, "those who cannot work for the party should take rest and those who can't discharge their duties should retire".

The session was attended by senior party leaders including Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi apart from delegates from across the country.

The party also adopted 'New Gujarat, New Congress' resolution with an aim to come back to power in the state, which is now regarded as BJP's stronghold.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said there will be change in the state. "Congress has not formed a government here for the last 30 years. But people want a change now, and the change will begin from Gujarat," he said.

Party leader Sachin Pilot said that Congress will strengthen itself in Gujarat and fight strongly in the next assembly elections.

"The resolution has been outlined and passed by the whole committee to send a message across the country that the Congress will continue to work hard in Gujarat, will fight strongly in the coming elections, and will strengthen the workers... The government here is facing anti-incumbency... The Congress party will do mass contact programmes and attract voters towards itself, and Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge's message will energise workers all over India," Pilot said.

Former CM of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda also emphasised the goal of rebuilding the party.

"Our only goal is to save the Constitution, strengthen the country and rebuild the Congress party organization from the bottom up," Hooda said.

In his speech, Rahul Gandhi lashed out at BJP and RSS during his speech and said the Waqf legislation is "an attack on the freedom of religion and the Constitution"

Rahul Gandhi also accused the BJP-led government of trying to control institutions.

"Their (RSS) ideology is against the Constitution. They want to end democracy. They want to control all the institutions of India and hand over the country's money to Ambani Adani... The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is an attack on the freedom of religion and the Constitution," he said.

Rahul Gandhi also attacked the BJP over the row of a former party MLA Gyandev Ahuja seeking to "purify" a temple after a visit by Rajasthan's Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, who belongs to the Dalit community. The BJP later suspended the former party MLA from primary membership of the party.

"After Tika Ram Jully, our Dalit leader, went to a temple, BJP leaders got the temple cleaned once he left... This is not our religion," Rahul Gandhi said.

The Congress leader also raised the party's demand for a caste census in the country and alleged that government does not want to conduct it.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram lauded Gandhi's speech for reflecting on the "unfair" power metrics of the country.

"The power metrics of this country is not necessarily fair to all sections of the society and that is what he (Rahul Gandhi) has reflected. He said that sections of society which are not normally represented in the power metrics will be given representation and adequate opportunity to partake in offices and positions of authorities," Chidambaram said.

Party leader Kumari Selja said Congress will always stand with the weaker sections. "Congress has always fought for every 'weak' section of the society. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have made it clear that we will always stand with them," she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)