Terming itself as the first political party to come out with a “National Security Strategy for India” in 2019, the Congress party on Saturday released a slew of ‘international resolutions’ at the 85th plenary session in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur.
The grand old party moved several international resolutions, ranging from restoring the principle of collective decision-making to safeguarding the functioning of international organisations. The resolution said that the party will work to bring more transparency and regulations to manage global financial and stock markets.
“The BJP government has unfortunately turned a blind eye to crony capitalists manipulating markets, currencies and financial institutions, and leveraging tax havens to rig the Indian market. The Congress Party commits to bringing more transparency and regulations to manage global financial and stock markets,” the resolution said.
“The Congress Party will re-invigorate an institutionalised system and comprehensive method of outreach to the diaspora, international organisations and governments. This includes working with like-minded institutions and organisations,” it added.
It also pledged to leverage both India’s public and private sectors to attain key strategic and foreign policy goals, and holistically promote India’s economic interests in collaboration with the widest set of stakeholders (as opposed to the crony-capitalism that the BJP government has fostered).
“The Congress Party also commits to ensuring that India has a globally competitive business and investment-friendly environment. We also commit to creating an economically integrated South Asia,” the resolution said further.
The resolution further said that the party will, re-invigorate an institutionalised system and comprehensive method of outreach to the diaspora, international organisations and governments, and re-establishing the Ministry of Overseas Indians that will be tasked to address the concerns of NRIs including their safety, conditions of work, social security and health benefits, education of their children, need for financial services, protection of assets in India, and safe return to India.
The draft also attacked the BJP government over its foreign policy regarding the neighbouring countries and claimed that China has widened the economic and geopolitical gap with the country.
“In the last eight years, India’s relationship with our neighbours including China, Nepal and Bangladesh have frayed, while China has steadily widened the economic and geopolitical gap with India and fostered stronger ties with Russia, Iran, Sri Lanka and Pakistan,” the resolution added.
During the 85th Plenary session, the party also released its political resolution, in which it promised to bring a law against hate crimes, guarantee citizens right to free healthcare, restore statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, etc.
The resolution also said that the assembly elections this year in nine states and 2024 Lok Sabha polls were “crucial for India’s future” and there is an urgent need for united opposition to take on the BJP-led NDA government on ideological grounds.
It said the party will restore special category status to the North Eastern States, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The draft resolution came down heavily on the BJP-led government, accusing it of political vendetta and abusing central agencies like ED, NIA, CBI and IT “to intimidate and subjugate political opponents”.
It said the Congress would go all out to “identify, mobilise and align like-minded secular forces.”
The resolution said emergence of any third force will provide advantage to the BJP.
The resolution said Congress will prepare a vision document for 2024, following a largest-ever mass contact programme, which will encompass issues of unemployment, eradication of poverty, inflation, women empowerment, job creation, national security.
In an apparent reference to Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks that BJP has no competition in 2024 polls, the Congress said it welcomes the challenge.
“It is quite shocking that BJP leaders have reached the pinnacle of arrogance by saying that the BJP has no competitors in 2024. This is a big challenge, not just to Congress and other parties, but to the democratic ethos of India. Congress welcomes this challenge!
“The 2023 Assembly elections to nine states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are crucial for India’s future. The choice before our people is crystal clear. The Congress must redefine political discourse by recapturing the centre space in the present polarised polity,” the resolution said.
The resolution expressed Congress’s resolve “to liberate the nation from its present agony and darkness, heal the wounds created by these divisive forces, and reinstate stability and peace again.”
It said the 4000 km long Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir was a first significant step in this direction.
The party said the BJP government “has distorted all three arms of government and the fourth estate of the media to protect their interests over the people’s interests”.
“Every institution has been subverted, undermined and threatened. Democracy is on the verge of being expunged from India. Free discussions and debates in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies have been curtailed. Expunging the truth and suppressing the voices of the Opposition is becoming the order of the day. This is a blatant subversion of Article 105 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech as a right for Members of Parliament,” the party said.
The draft resolution said the judiciary is constantly threatened by direct and indirect measures which create apprehensions in their mind.