Congress stands for all religions, not allied selectively with any grp: Rahul

Ahmedabad: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is reported to have told party members that there should be no reservation in naming a group that is targeted, as he reiterated that Congress stands for all religions and groups. Rahul mentioned that a community, whether Christian, Muslim, Sikh, OBC, or deprived classes, should be named. He stated that Congress is not associated selectively with any group.
The remark at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) reportedly came after some questions from party leaders about clarity on political strategy. It has been a subject of debate in political circles and within Congress on how to address the hard polarisation pitch of BJP. Rahul stated he had no confusion about the strategy.

The extended CWC, led by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul, met at the Patel Memorial here for around four hours to discuss the resolution that will be placed before the AICC session on Wednesday. Sources said the mention of the Palestine-Israel conflict also came in for suggestions from members. Some reportedly felt the passing reference about the Modi govt's silence on the bombardment of innocents was not enough and required detailing. Rahul also pitched strongly for "social justice" issues like caste census, even as he dismissed the notion that Congress could be confined merely to Dalits and minorities, as is the case in popular parlance.
Many members gave their views on different aspects of the resolution. Sources said senior MP from Kerala, Shashi Tharoor, argued that Congress should not just criticise but should be constructive and should also offer alternatives and options. There was a discussion on US tariffs on India, and also the foreign policy. MP Manish Tewari, sources said, expressed strong views on the Chinese encroachment in the Ladakh region. Some also demanded greater emphasis on the waqf bill's criticism.
While the resolution remains under wraps, it is learnt that the document contains all the national issues, from alleged "divisive politics" and "Hindu vs Muslim" of the BJP-RSS to "assault on the Constitution and federalism", "compromised foreign policy" of the Modi regime based on "personal branding", with references to US, Chinese encroachment, and the return of hardline in Bangladesh. A key reference is likely to be on social justice, with a focus on caste census and higher quotas, and Congress's role in the first Constitutional amendment of 1951 to safeguard reservations, implementation of the Mandal Commission, and OBC quota in educational institutions, and the Modi govt's "dereservation" drive through privatisation and contractual employment.
Holding the AICC session in Gujarat after over six decades is Congress's way of trying to send out a serious message about its intent to take on the growing hegemony of BJP. Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh said the session in Ahmedabad, in the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhi becoming Congress President and the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, is a "strong message in itself".
Congress was enthused by its 2024 Lok Sabha performance of 99 seats and a strong show by the INDIA bloc in the wake of a difficult campaign propelled by polarisation, but has since squandered much of the momentum with defeats at the hands of BJP in the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections. The AICC session appears to be another bid to reinject energy into the party rank and file.
The AICC session is likely to see a strong emphasis on the BJP's "attack on the Constitution", starting from the Constitution review commission of 2000 to the "400 paar" pitch of 2024 to Home Minister Amit Shah's "insulting" remarks about "Ambedkar" in Rajya Sabha, and on the "attack on federalism" in the form of the bill on simultaneous elections, denial of statehood to J&K, and Manipur strife.