Poll reform, Places of Worship Act ‘violations’ among key topics at CWC meet
The CWC reiterated its “firmest commitment to the letter and spirit” of the Places of Worship Act 1991, which it said was being “brazenly violated” by the BJP.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Friday announced its “firmest commitment” to the letter and spirit of the 1991 Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act and said that it will begin a national movement against the “severely compromised” election process and “partisan functioning of the Election Commission” against the backdrop of a string of poll losses.
The CWC meeting was aimed at introspecting losses in assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana over the last two months but turned into another tirade against ECI and the election process.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi identified the “violation” of the Places of Worship Act, polling process and the demand for a probe into allegations against the Adani group as “people’s issues” and told the party to take a firm stand and go to the hilt on these issues, said people aware of developments.
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Gandhi’s assertion came after a senior MP from Kerala suggested that the party should raise pro-people issues such as inflation and unemployment and apply caution to pick only those issues that resonate with the people.
The CWC reiterated its “firmest commitment to the letter and spirit” of the Places of Worship Act, which it said was being “brazenly violated” by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The statement came amid simmering communal tensions in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal town, where four people died in clashes during a controversial court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid last Sunday. Hindu groups have filed petitions alleging that the mosque stands on the remains of a temple, part of a similar batch of pleas in Varanasi and Mathura that have brought the focus back on the 1991 law.
The 1991 Act freezes the religious character of all places of worship as of August 15, 1947, except for the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. Muslim groups, including in Sambhal, argue that suits by Hindu petitioners are barred by the 1991 Act. A batch of petitions – some seeking to scrap the 1991 Act and some others asking for tight enforcement of that law -- have remained pending before the top court since March 2021.
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The review of the party’s loss in the Haryana and Maharashtra polls was limited to explanations by senior leaders Ajay Maken and Ramesh Chennithala. Maken, the head of the Haryana screening committee, admitted that all sitting MLAs shouldn’t have been repeated and took the entire responsibility of the poor show. Chennithala, in charge for Maharashtra, gave the example of the defeat of Balasaheb Thorat, an eight-term MLA, to allege that the BJP was trying to finish the second-rung leadership of the Congress. He too, blamed electronic voting machines and ECI’s role for the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s poor performance.
In the Haryana polls in October, the BJP secured a historic third consecutive term by winning 48 out of the 90 seats, defying exit polls predictions and trouncing the Congress that won 37 seats. Then last week, the BJP-led Mahayuti won 235 out of 288 seats in the November 20 assembly elections in Maharashtra, trouncing the MVA that won just 50 seats. The Congress fought more than 100 seats in the state but won just 16.
In both states, the INDIA bloc had performed well in the Lok Sabha polls this summer but failed to keep up the momentum in assembly elections.
Congress leader Mohan Prakash pointed out to party general secretary KC Venugopal that there was no party organisation in Haryana while Pallam Raju raised questions about the overall health of the Congress organisation.
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“Ironically, three big leaders from Haryana — Randeep Surjewala, Kumari Selja and Deepender Hooda – were present in the meeting but didn’t speak a word on the state polls,” said a CWC member, requesting anonymity.
Later the CWC resolution said the party’s performance in Haryana has been “contrary to all expectations” and the Congress “should have formed the government in the state by a convincing margin but it didn’t”. It also acknowledged that “there have been electoral malpractices that have influenced the result in the state which have been overlooked.”
“Finally, the CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission. Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement,” Venugopal announced after the marathon five-hours long meeting.
Senior leaders such as Abhishek Singhvi, Digvijaya Singh and Maken spoke about the EVMs and the need to push for an alternative arrangement. As Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge publicly pitched for the reintroduction of paper ballots, Singhvi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will not accept polls by ballot papers. “For the time being, we should push for 100% VVPAT.”
Assam leader Gaurav Gogoi took the poll issue to a larger level and blamed ECI for failing the people of India, a line later endorsed by Rahul Gandhi.
The CWC decided to constitute internal committees to look into the matters related to electoral performance and organisational matters in the block and districts.
“Along with this, the party has also decided to celebrate 100th anniversary of the presidency of Mahatma Gandhi in 1924 at Belgaum in December. You people know that in 1924, December 26th, Mahatma Gandhi Ji was elected Congress President in Belgaum session. We are celebrating 100th anniversary of that celebration in Belgaum and an extended working committee will be held followed by a massive rally in Belgaum,” announced Venugopal.
The CWC also hailed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s election from Wayanad and called upon the organisation at all levels to “summon the maximum strength and resilience at this juncture.”
“There is no reason to get disheartened or panic,” it added.