Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Sonia Gandhi, party leader Rahul Gandhi and other leaders during a flag hoisting ceremony, at CWC meeting in Hyderabad, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.
Credit: X/INCIndia
The newly constituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in Hyderabad on Saturday raised grave concerns over challenges to India’s constitutional and federal structure.
CWC members from different parts of the country including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, parliamentary chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with son Rahul, attended in the meet and discussed several pressing issues being faced by the country.
Obstacles being created by the BJP-led Centre to Congress governments in states like Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh were also discussed at length and deplored by the CWC.
“We held discussion over the political situation, economic crisis, and internal and external security threats to India. We believe there is a challenge to the constitutional and federal structure of the country. Federalism is being systematically weakened and the functioning of the state governments have been hampered and hamstrung. Revenues to the states have been denied and obstacles are being created for the respective governments,” said former union minister, P Chidambaram.
In a break between CWC meeting, Chidambaram while talking to reporters, gave examples of two Congress-ruled states of Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.
“I'll give you two examples: Distribution of rice in Karnataka is an election promise. Even though Karnataka was ready to pay for the rice, FCI was instructed to refuse to give rice to Karnataka. This has never happened in the country before. The second is Himachal, where devastation took place due to floods and landslides. Yet funds are being denied to Himachal,” he said.
Chidambaram further added even a child will know why obstacles are being created for Karnataka and Himachal. “Because the BJP lost the elections in these two states,” said Chidambaram.
Chidambaram also found fault with the PM Modi not visiting Manipur even though the state has been in turmoil since May.
He said, "PM Modi can reach Manipur in just two hours. Yet, he chose not to go. Instead, he has time to make a quick visit to ASEAN and G8 meetings.
The CWC also reiterated its demand for Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into transactions of Adani Group.
It accused the Modi government’s proposal of ‘One Nation, One Election’ as a brazen attack on the federal structure of the country. It raised concerns over ‘disappearance’ of parliamentary debate and scrutiny in the country. The CWC also put on record the deepest appreciation for Mallikarjun Kharge’s contributions as Congress President over the past year.
“He has been an inspirational leader and an uncompromising voice for social justice and empowerment. Kharge's efforts to preserve and protect the country’s Constitution from the assaults of the Modi Government has been commendable. He has been fearlessly and relentlessly holding PM Modi accountable for his anti-people policies and programmes,” said the CWC.
An extended CWC meeting will be held on Sunday morning. The CWC meeting on Saturday also put on record the appreciation to Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.