New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday intensified its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with senior leader Jairam Ramesh describing him as “agyaani (unwise)” and announcing a nationwide agitation campaign over inflation, alleged examination irregularities, and the rejection of Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination papers.
Addressing reporters after a meeting of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents and AICC general secretaries in-charge, Ramesh alleged that the BJP had moved from “vote chori” (vote theft) to “seat chori (seat theft)”, and said that the Congress would take its political battle against the Centre to the streets.
The sharp exchange came a day after Modi, speaking at an event marking his becoming India’s longest continuously serving Prime Minister, criticised the Congress over the phrase ‘Hindu rate of growth’, saying it had been used to conceal the failures of previous Congress governments.
A key issue discussed at Thursday’s meeting was the rejection of former Member of Parliament Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh. Sources told ThePrint that Congress legislators from the state have been asked to come to Delhi, where the party is likely to plan a protest and further action. The party has described the rejection as politically motivated and said it would explore all available legal and political options to challenge the decision.
The Congress leadership also finalised plans for a nationwide agitation programme centred on issues it believes will resonate with voters across the country. Sources said the meeting focused on strengthening the organisation and preparing for upcoming elections. There will, however, be separate meetings for elections.
“To take the message of the Modi regime’s misrule to the people, we will launch the nationwide campaign. From the block level to Parliament, we will mobilise all affected cohorts and send a strong message that we are with the ordinary people—while the Modi-led BJP is with the rich and powerful,” All India Congress Committee General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said in a post on social media platform X.
“Recurring paper leaks, unemployment and job insecurities are destroying the hopes of our Gen Z and youth. Families are facing severe strain as the economy goes into a tailspin destroying household budgets. SC, ST and OBC communities are at the receiving end of atrocities and orchestrated marginalisation,” he said in the post.
Jairam also alleged that while the BJP is keen to push ahead with delimitation, it would not be able to secure the two-thirds majority required despite its efforts to break Opposition parties.
“Their ego was hurt after the Bill on delimitation was defeated in the House. That is why they are doing all this – getting MPs from other parties. Whatever the Home Minister may do, the BJP will not get a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha for getting the Delimitation Bill passed,” said Ramesh.
Sources also told ThePrint that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told the meeting that the Congress is the only party capable of taking on the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and that the party cannot be broken. He also expressed confidence in the Congress and further predicted that the party will become stronger in the coming years, as the party has not fractured despite repeated efforts to weaken it.
Ramesh also dismissed speculation about a possible merger between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress following recent meetings involving former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Youth Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi.
This is an updated version of the report.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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