Congress readies for 10-day agitation against government

The Congress party is all set to launch a 10-day agitation from Tuesday to attack the Narendra Modi government over “economic slowdown and agrarian distress.”

Ahead of the agitation and the beginning of the monsoon session of Parliament, the party on Saturday held a meeting of its top leadership.

For 10 days from Tuesday, the Congress will stage agitations in all state capitals and every district headquarters to highlight that under the BJP government, the country’s economy is on a downturn and unemployment has fallen to a 45-year low amid a lingering farm crisis.

The economic slowdown is believed to have made an impact in some constituencies in the recent state elections in Maharashtra and Haryana. The BJP stopped short of majority on its own in both states.

On Monday it has scheduled a meeting off all opposition parties to put up a united front on the issue.

Both the meetings have been called by Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, but the family scion, Rahul Gandhi was abroad for another session of “meditation,” as the party says.

Rahul will also miss the 10-day agitation. However, the party spokesperson claimed that it was drafted by Rahul himself.

Randeep Surjewala said: “This entire programme was drafted as per his [Rahul’s] direction and in consultation with him. He guided the party on to the various steps and issues that were to be taken. Shri Rahul Gandhi was present and participated in the meeting where this programme was taken up.

“Neither Soniaji nor Rahulji are going for state agitation or district agitational programme.”

Surjewala said Gandhi was away at one of his regular “meditational visits” and will return shortly.

But he is expected to return for the “Maha rally” on Nov.15 which will see the climax of the agitation. Sonia Gandhi as well as Priyanka Gandhi are expected to attend.

Saturday’s meeting was discussing the party’s strategy to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Parliament and outside.

Monday’s multiparty meeting is meant to seek support for the Congress’s proposed 10-day nationwide agitation targeting the government.

Also on agenda is a proposed protest against a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to sign in Bangkok during his present tour.

RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement among 10 ASEAN countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam and their six FTA partners China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The Congress calls the deal a new threat to economy.

“RCEP is an attempt at free-trade between 16 countries and the deal is being strongly resisted by the domestic industry, farmer groups, civil society organisations and opposition parties, who apprehend that China, armed with RCEP, will dump cheaper goods into India,” party spokesperson Prof. Gourav Vallabh said recently.

The Congress points out that the deal will result in India importing cheaper milk and milk products from countries like Australia and New Zealand which will “adversely affect the livelihood of over 50 million domestic milk producers of the country.”

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will be the Congress Legislature Party leader in the 90-member House, the party announced here on Saturday.

Congress general secretary in-charge of Haryana Ghulam Nabi Azad told media persons here that at a meeting of Congress MLAs in Haryana, Hood said the decision to appoint the CLP leader should be left to Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi.

“And the proposal to appoint Hooda as CLP was passed unanimously,” Azad said.

Ahead of the Oct.21 Assembly elections in the state, Hooda was appointed as the CLP leader as well as the Chairman of the Congress’ Campaign Committee, while former Union Minister Kumari Selja was made state unit chief, replacing Ashok Tanwar. The Congress won 31 seats in the elections, falling 14 short of majority in the House, although it improved its tally from 15 bagged in 2014.

Resmi Sivaram/Agencies