Congress launches legal fellowship, rapid response teams to strengthen Opposition voice

New Delhi: Congress on Sunday announced a fellowship programme to link youth with lawmakers, a podcast series, rapid legal response teams at state and district levels and a programme to reclaim the RTI Act in its original form as part of efforts to involve young lawyers with the party.

Designed by the AICC Law, Human Rights and RTI Department, the initiatives were unveiled by Treasurer Ajay Maken and senior lawyer-MP Abhishek Singhvi, who also heads the department, saying these programmes would help provide legal aid at the grassroots level and strengthen the Congress' voice to save democracy.

These programmes will further engage with young lawyers to revitalise formerly existing legal networks, Singhvi told reporters.

A three-month initiative, the INC Legal Fellows Programme provides young legal counsels an entry into the party mainstream by giving ten young lawyers an opportunity to work with MPs. The idea is to allow an opportunity to the next generation of Congress persons/leaders to get a chance to understand the Parliamentary Opposition’s role, he said.

The Podcast series 'Nyaya Neta aur Nagrik' (Justice, Leader and Citizen) is designed to provide a platform to not just legal luminaries and senior Advocates but also to young and budding advocates an opportunity for "reasoned constitutional dialogue" placing law and citizens at the centre of governance, "something which can be seen to be diminishing at the hands of the ruling regime". Singhvi will be featured in the inaugural episode.

Congress will also start a rapid response force which would provide legal aid to the party and its leaders at the grassroots level. A database of lawyers with at least five lawyers in every district available to provide legal support.

"By way of deliberate design, this programme seeks to particularly lend active legal support to local leaders present at the ground level, who are most susceptible to threats and intimidation, especially in Opposition-ruled states," Singhvi said.

A National Conclave to Reclaim the RTI Act is also planned, as the transparency law is facing "sustained dilution and administrative weakening" over the years.

"At a time when transparency in governance is more critical than ever, the party believes it is imperative to initiate a structured national conversation on restoring the Act’s original spirit and strength," he said.

The objective is to undertake a rigorous assessment of the present state of the RTI framework, identify institutional and legislative gaps, and develop actionable recommendations to strengthen the law, he added.