The party leader also discussed the impending special session of the Parliament with the Congress Working Committee as well as the government’s plans to control the Election Commission. Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress, claimed on Saturday that “serious internal challenges” were being faced by the nation and that the BJP was “adding fuel to the fire” to ignite violent occurrences like those in Manipur and Haryana, which damage India’s reputation as a secular and progressive nation.
Ahead of the impending special session of Parliament, Kharge warned party members of the government’s “intentions” and said that “it wants a Parliament without the opposition” in his opening remarks at the first meeting of the newly created Congress Working Committee (CWC) today. Additionally, he stated that the party asks that the caste census process begin immediately, and that the rights of the underprivileged elements of society be protected in areas like food security, health, and education.
He asserted that the Congress, which has served as the primary opposition for the past ten years, has compelled the Narendra Modi administration to make several crucial judgments that are in the best interests of the general populace. “Today, the country is facing many serious internal challenges. The whole world witnessed the heart-wrenching incidents in Manipur. Violence has been continuing there since May. The Modi government ensured that the fire of Manipur violence reached Nuh in Haryana. Due to incidents of violence there, communal tension spread in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi,” Kharge alleged.
“These incidents tarnish the image of modern, progressive and secular India. In these circumstances, the ruling party, communal organisations and a section of the media are adding fuel to the fire. It destroys the secular fabric of the country. We have to together identify and expose such forces,” the Congress chief asserted. He noted that the program for the upcoming five-day extraordinary session of Parliament, which will begin on Monday, has been released after much anticipation. The primary item on the agenda is the government’s effort to exert “complete control” over the Election Commission.
“We have to be cautious about the intentions of the ruling party. This government wants a Parliament without the opposition. They do not want any MP, media or common people to ask questions,” Kharge alleged at the meeting. “We also strongly condemn the government’s attempts to stifle the opposition in Parliament and curtail public scrutiny in the House,” the Congress chief said. According to Kharge, the criticisms made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP officials can be used to determine whether the three INDIA bloc meetings were successful.
He warned Congress workers that as the alliance advanced, their attacks would get worse and added that the 27 INDIA bloc parties were united on crucial core concerns. The opposition alliance is moving forward to fight the “anti-people and anti-democratic BJP government” after three productive meetings, according to Kharge. He also asserted that the BJP dispensation is alarmed by this development and is taking retaliatory action against opposition groups. “After the Mumbai meeting of the INDIA bloc, the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax department and the CBI have been deployed by the government as part of political vendetta against opposition leaders,” he stated.