'Centre discriminating against Congress-ruled states'

New Delhi, Sep 8
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday accused the Narendra Modi government of step-motherly treatment to Congress-ruled states and charged it with "inexplicable servility" to the RSS.

In a political resolution adopted at the CWC meeting, the party accused Prime Minister Modi and the BJP leadership of failing to take immediate action against "corrupt transgressions of law and public morality" by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The Congress has been demanding the resignations of Sushma Swaraj and Raje over their alleged help to former IPL chief Lalit Modi, who is facing Enforcement Directorate investigations, and of Chouhan over the Vyapam scam.

The CWC meeting resolved to continue to oppose with greater vigour "the anti-poor, anti-labourer and anti-farmer policies of the Modi government".

It called for decisive action on issues concerning the economy and national security and against divisive and communal forces.

The CWC condemned the "confrontationist mindset" of the government and "its refusal to have any constructive engagement with the opposition that has undermined parliamentary democracy".

On the drought in many parts of the country, the party demanded that farmers be compensated appropriately for their loss.

"We call upon the government to immediately provide a comprehensive relief package including special 'girdwari' for farmer's crops, arrangements for drinking water, special food and work programme and fodder for the cattle," it said.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said price rise was the biggest issue against the government.

He said crude prices had come down by more than half since the Congress-led UPA government left office, but only a fraction of benefit has been passed on to the consumers.

"The price of petrol should be Rs.30 per litre and that of diesel should be Rs.24 per litre. If prices of petroleum products are brought down, it will also bring down prices of other commodities," he said.

Azad said demands of the Congress-ruled states are not accepted by the NDA government.

"The step-motherly treatment with Congress-ruled states is not mere accusation but a reality," he said.

The CWC meeting underlined its grave concern about the slowdown of economic growth, "decline in exports for eight consecutive months, sharp decline in credit growth, sluggish investments and abysmal growth in job creation".

The Congress called upon the government to take a decisive stand on Pakistan, take necessary steps to establish peace on the border and ensure that the perpetrators of cross-border terrorism were brought to justice.

The Congress welcomed the lapse of the land ordinance and congratulated party vice president Rahul Gandhi and leaders of like-minded parties for their opposition to it.

It demanded that the soul and spirit of the 2013 land act is not whittled down by attempts to negate it through surreptitious efforts at the state level.

The CWC called upon the government to remain accountable to parliament "instead of making a mockery of democracy by subjugating itself and being remote controlled by the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)".

"We condemn the inexplicable servility of the prime minister and his entire government in seeking policy directions and accountability commands from the RSS," the resolution said.

The party also accused the government of undermining the independence of academic and cultural institutions, bypassing the principle of merit, furtherance of its "right wing agenda".

"The CWC condemns the central government's repeated efforts to distort the history of India to suit its divisive political agenda and destroy the rich legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru," the resolution said.

It denounced attacks on writers and free thinkers and demanded that "right-wing forces behind such acts of violence" be brought to justice.