CWC meeting looks at NRC stand, Maratha reservation

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) met on Saturday to finalise the party's stand on the National Register of Citizens that has made people anxious in Assam and its neighbouring states.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi chaired the second meeting of the CWC, the party's top decision-making body. The meeting will also take stock of the Maratha reservation issue and the strategy to corner the Modi government on the Rafale deal.

Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi skipped the meeting on account of health issues. Besides the 23-member core CWC that includes former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Siddaramaiah, the meeting was attended by permanent invitees and AICC in-charges of various states.

Congress leaders Shiela Dikshit, Oommen Chandy, Siddaramaiah and Harish Rawat at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, at AICC in New Delhi on Saturday, Aug 4, 2018. (PTI Photo)

The Congress is still undecided about whether to adopt a strident line on the draft NRC, which does not include 40 lakh people and virtually put a question mark on their rights as citizens.

A section of the party has advised a cautious stand on the issue given the sensitivities involved.

So far, the Congress has attacked the government for not implementing the NRC in a responsible manner.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi claimed that almost 85% of the NRC work was done during the UPA government's tenure and that the NDA messed it up while publishing the final draft register.

The BJP has accused the Congress of pursuing “appeasement politics” and asked it to make its stand clear on whether it supported “illegal immigrants” from Bangladesh in Assam.