Farmers Movement Archive

Congress panel zeroes in on issues for protests against Modi govt

A Congress panel led by former MP chief minister Digvijaya Singh, in its first meeting on Tuesday, has identified several issues for both long-term and short-term protest movements against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre, said two members, requesting anonymity.The nine- member panel constituted by party president Sonia Gandhi on September 2 has its task cut out to identify and prepare issues for protests. In the first meeting on Tuesday, Singh and other members discussed many issues and identified price rise, Pegasus spyware, recent developments related to procurement of Rafael jets , the management of the Covid-19 pandemic and job loss as key issues, said one of the members, who attended the meeting, on condition of anonymity.Some other issues including strengthening the party’s Dalit outreach and the need for an agitation for releasing caste data census. “It has been decided that the panel will prepare a report on all such important issues and send it to the Congress president for her approval,” said one of the panel members, requesting anonymity. Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present in the meeting. Other panel members include BK Hariprasad, Ripun Bora, Manish Chatrathat, Udit Raj, Ragini Nayak, Uttam Kumar Reddy and Zuber Khan.The panel also decided that a close coordination with other sections of the party is important to ensure that the protest plans don’t clash with the Congress’ celebrations of the 75th year of Indian Independence, said the person mentioned above. In August, the party decided to organise year-long celebrations across India to mark the 75 years of the country’s Independence. The Congress and other Opposition parties have already announced ten days-long protests this month over Pegasus, farm laws and otthe issues. Singh’s panel will make long-term protest plans against the Centre.The panel also discussed how to improve the party’s usage of social media and the need to reach out to the Congress workers at the booth level, said the panel member mentioned above. The committee also identified farm laws, Covid 19 compensation, misuse of sedition laws as possible issues.A note of tentative subjects, prepared by former MP Udit Raj (is he also a member of the panel?), also reads: “Rahul Gandhi is to be made the president of the Congress party as it is most important in view to counter the cult of (PM Narendra) Modi.” Notably, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the students’ wing of Congress, in its two-day National Executive ‘Sankalp’ on Sunday proposed to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the party chief.

Hindustan Times

15-09-2021

India