Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attend the AICC session on the banks of the Sabarmati River, in Ahmedabad.
Credit: PTI Photo
Ahmedabad: With some senior leaders raising concerns about omissions, the ‘Nyay Path’ resolution adopted at the AICC Session on Wednesday underwent some major changes at the last minute to include a mention of secularism, I.N.D.I.A bloc and judicial accountability as well as elaborating on party’s Palestine stand.
At the extended Congress Working Committee meeting on Tuesday, leaders like Shashi Tharoor and Anand Sharma raised concerns about the draft, which also did not elaborate specific aspects of its social justice agenda like dismantling of SC/ST Sub Plan, abolishing 50% quota cap and reservation for SC, ST and OBCs in private educational institutions.
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal had said on Tuesday that the Drafting Committee would sit again to “incorporate” suggestions made at the extended CWC. Some leaders, sources said, were not happy with the draft as it did not reflect the party’s long-standing positions on issues or its demands.
As a section felt that the absence of a mention about I.N.D.I.A could create trouble, the final resolution recalled “constructive cooperation and collective efforts” not just with time-tested allies. It said Congress “created and sustained” the architecture of I.N.D.I.A on the commonality of people’s issues and the party stands committed to continuing this effort even in the future.
Absence of Congress’ commitment to secularism in the resolution also raised eyebrows and it prompted an addition. The party’s commitment to secularism is inspired by “age-old traditions of India, that is Bharat”, it said.
On the Palestine front, the drafting committee initially chose not to mention the party’s commitment for a “negotiated and peaceful resolution as also for the creation of a separate state of Palestine as per the UN resolution” but was added.
Amid a renewed debate on judicial accountability, the drafting committee inserted a paragraph later mentioning the recovery of cash from the residence of a High Court judge, calling it “alarming”. The resolution did not explicitly oppose the collegium system but said the judiciary must set safeguards and standards for accountability.
“A mechanism for judicial accountability, without compromising judicial independence, is the need of the hour,” the added portion read.
On the social justice section, the initial draft did not mention SC/ST Sub Plan, the removal of an “arbitrary ceiling” of 50% cap on reservations and lack of Census denying the rightful dues of OBCs, SCs and STs. “Even the OBC reservation in private educational institutions has been denied. All this proves the anti-SC, ST and OBC mindset of the ruling BJP,” it said while committing to enact a central law to guarantee budgetary allocations under SC/ST Sub Plan.
Bringing clarity on its position on fighting for minorities, the resolution added, “the stark truth is that the targeting of Muslims and Christians is making large sections of them live in fear today, which is not only demeaning but a crime against the Constitution.”
“It went on to refer to amendment to the law on Waqf Board, the targeting of Church land, manufactured demonstration outside religious places is all part of this polarising strategy," it added.
While the initial draft did not explain where the Congress stood, the resolution in its final shape said the party calls upon the government to undertake a constructive negotiation with the US on tariffs by placing the national interests first and after taking into confidence all parties and stakeholders. It also named Hindus, Buddhists and Christians as the minorities that were targeted in Bangladesh.