Isolate, penalise Pak, Congress CWC urges govt | Latest News India

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Friday urged the Narendra Modi government to “act with firmness, strategic clarity, and international coordination to isolate and penalise Pakistan”, reminding the PM that the entire country is waiting for justice in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

The CWC, which met at Delhi’s 24, Akbar Road premises, emphasised that the Telangana caste survey model should be emulated by the government and demanded that “the government must immediately allocate the necessary funds and announce a clear timeline for every stage of the census.”

But the presser after the meeting sparked a controversy when former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi demanded proof about the surgical strikes and questioned the steps taken by the government.

“This is a time for demonstrating our collective will as a nation to teach Pakistan a lesson and curb terrorism decisively. The masterminds and perpetrators of this cowardly attack must face the full consequences of their actions. The Congress Party urges the Government of India to act with firmness, strategic clarity, and international coordination to isolate and penalise Pakistan for its continued export of terror into our territory,” the resolution said.

“The entire country awaits accountability, answers, and justice. In the face of such an unforgivable provocation, the Indian National Congress believes this is not a time for politics, but a moment that calls for unity, strength, and national resolve. We must rise above partisan divides and send out an unambiguous message that India stands together and will not be broken,” it added.

In the meeting, party general secretary Randeep Surjewala read the Pahalgam resolution and former Rajasthan deputy CM Sachin Pilot presented the caste census resolution.

Later, Pilot recalled how the Congress had stood with the Vajpayee government after the 2001 Parliament attack. “We have always acted in supreme national interest. The attack is not just on tourists, it is against India. The government of India must take an appropriate action, which satisfies 1.4 billion people. We want an adequate response in a time-bound fashion.”

But the presser also witnessed a faux pas as Channi expressed doubts about the surgical strikes.

“What steps have they (the government) taken? They have sent back citizens, they have closed Wagah border, which has already closed for the past 10 years. The (suspension of Indus) water treaty… it is not possible to stop the flow of water. It will take 10 years to create infrastructure for it. Till date, we have not found out what happened during the surgical strike. There should be some proof,” Channi said, much to the uneasiness of the Congress. The party has already clarified its stand on the terror attack after statements by some leaders caused controversies.

In the meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the government was yet to come out with a “clear strategy” to deal with the Pahalgam terror attack. He also pointed out that the government accepted the party’s demand for a caste census.

“The government accepted our years-old demand for caste census, but the time chosen surprised us as well as shocked us. Many doubts have arisen in our hearts about the language and sentiment with which many things were said. When I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister on April 16, 2023 and demanded this, the government was completely against it. Then how did the change of heart happen suddenly?” Kharge asked.

The CWC resolution demanded that “This exercise (caste census) must not be delayed. All political parties must be taken into full confidence. Parliament must immediately have a debate on this issue. The government must immediately allocate the necessary funds and announce a clear timeline for every stage of the census, from the preparation of the questionnaire and methodology to the actual enumeration, classification, and eventual publication of the data. The process must be transparent and inclusive at every step.”