Congressional Working Committee Calls for CAA Withdrawal, Halt of NPR Process
The Congressional Labor Committee (CWC) on Saturday demanded that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act be withdrawn and the NPR process stopped immediately, as it accused the BJP government of using its raw majority to impose an agenda “dividing and discriminatory”.
The meeting of senior congressional brass, chaired by party leader Sonia Gandhi, deliberated on the social, economic and political challenges facing the country, after which it adopted a resolution on “suppressing the voices of young people and Indian students”.
“The Modi government has unleashed the full force of brutal state power to suppress, subjugate and stifle the voices of youth and students across the country. The prime minister and the BJP government have betrayed the trust of the youth,” the resolution reads.
Almost every institution in the country – University of Delhi, JNU, Jamia Millia University, Banaras Hindu University, Allahabad University, AMU and many others saw massive protests, he noted.
The CWC expresses its solidarity with young people and students in their fight for the defense of the Constitution, in favor of independent and creative learning and in striving for a job-related education at minimal cost, the resolution states.
Besides Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, top party leaders P Chidambaram, Anand Sharma, AK Antony, KC Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jyotiraditya Scindia were among those present. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi was not present at the meeting.
Congress also issued a statement on the four main issues that were discussed – CAA, NRC, NPR and student protests; the state of the economy; the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir; and US-Iranian tensions. “The CWC calls for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to be withdrawn and the NPR process to be stopped immediately,” a party statement said.
The CWC calls on the government to reveal its roadmap for reviving the economy, investor confidence and job creation, he said. The party’s top decision-making body has also called for lifting restrictions and restoring civil liberties in Jammu and Kashmir.
He also expressed deep concern over recent developments in the Gulf region where tensions have skyrocketed between the United States and Iran over the killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.
