By Rahil Nora Chopra
In an attempt to revive the politics of social justice before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress made 85 amendments in its constitution at its 85th plenary session, seeking to provide 50 percent reservation to scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs), other backward classes (OBCs), women, youth and minorities in its working committee and at all party positions. The Congress shared that a National Council for Social Justice would be set up on the lines of the National Development Council to review the progress and gaps in implementing India’s social justice policies and legislations. Congress strived to shift the focus on to caste census and believes that it can unite the Other Backward Castes (OBC), SC, ST and minorities voters in its favour.
CONGRESS’ SECULARISM IN DOCK OVER PLENARY AD, JAIRAM SAYS ‘SLIP-UP’
The Congress is in the throes of a deep debate on the future of its core ideological plank of secularism. However, the recent controversy over an advertisement on its 85th plenary session, which did not include India’s first education minister and freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, led to the party receiving strong criticism from several quarters. The full-page advertisement, published in dailies on the third day of the plenary session, featured Congress leaders of the past—Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, B R Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and Sarojini Naidu. Sharing the advertisement on Twitter, Congress MP Manish Tewari said, “The @INCIndia has a pantheon of Muslim leaders who struggled against fissiparous tendencies especially within their community that led to creation of Pakistan & dedicated themselves to inclusive idea of India. Someone wants to airbrush their contribution from annals of History.” While Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh called the mistake an inexcusable slipup and guaranteed a promised action. On the other hand, Asaduddin Owaisi’s party, AIMIM, questioned Congress’ secularism for including former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao in the advertisement. AIMIM shared that the former Prime Minister played a key role in the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya in 1992.
CM BHUPESH BAGHEL LEADS CONGRESS’ TRIBAL OUTREACH IN CHHATTISGARH
Ahead of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, in a bid to win the confidence of the tribal community, Congress is leaving no stone unturned. With 12 seats in the district, Bastar plays an important role in the formation of the government in Chhattisgarh, and the said seats remain a priority for the Congress. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is planning with a focused strategy of cultivating pride in Chhattisgarh’s identity, promoting welfare measures for rural people and taking on the BJP aggressively to ensure that his government is voted once again to power.
STALIN SAYS NO TO ‘THIRD FRONT’, URGES UNITED OPPOSITION MUST TO BEAT BJP
Ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls and amid discussions on Opposition unity, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has dismissed the idea of a third front. He has urged all political parties to comprehend the simple arithmetic of electoral unity. At the rally held in Chennai as part of CM Stalin’s 70th birthday celebration, attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and NC leader Farooq Abdullah, Stalin urged for strong opposition unity. Among those conspicuous by their absence were the TMC, BRS and the Left parties. However, Stalin called on all opposition parties to unite and come together to defeat the BJP in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
RECOVERING LALU VIRTUALLY ADDRESSES BIHAR RALLY, SAYS MUST DEFEAT BJP
The Ekjutata (unity) rally organized in Purnia by Bihar’s ruling alliance is being seen as an attempt to show off strength and ability by all seven parties in the governing formation, especially JD(U) and RJD. In his first speech after since his kidney transplant operation, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who addressed the rally in virtual mode from Delhi, criticised BJP for being anti-minorities. Lalu emphasized that the grand alliance in Bihar was aimed at ousting BJP from power in the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Ekjutata rally is expected to consolidate the vote base of RJD and Nitish Kumar’s JD-U in Seemanchal. Lalu’s active participation in anti-BJP movement is giving a big boost to the grand alliance’s prospects in the Lok Sabha elections.
NOW, AKHILESH YADAV DEMANDS CASTE CENSUS IN UTTAR PRADESH
In a bid to jolt the party cadres and to revive the politics of social justice before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi party has initiated block-level campaign, beginning with Varanasi, Sonbhadra, Prayagraj, Mirzapur and Bhadohi districts, where the party workers will see and meet with the people of backward classes and will also raise awareness on the importance of holding a caste census. Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav has demanded caste census in UP. Speaking during the Budget Session of the State Assembly, Akhilesh said, “If Bihar can have a caste census, why can’t we? Our party had promised that if voted to power, we will complete the caste census within three months”. Akhilesh’s moves are being seen by political observers as a bid to counter the BJP’s Hindutva plank which has cut across caste lines in Uttar Pradesh. (IPA Service)
