Congress to launch nationwide campaign on paper leak, 'chanda chori'; resolves to sing 2 stanzas of Vande Mataram

As the party's top decision-making body additionally resolved that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung at its events, the Congress on Wednesday confirmed nationwide campaigns on paper leaks and the alleged "chanda chori" involving donations to the Ram temple.

Key points

• He remarked the decision reflected the position taken by the party's leadership at the time, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose and Sardar Patel.
• Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh additionally demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged "shudhikaran" incident in Uttarakhand after Kharge's programme there.
• "There is no confusion on that, " Venugopal remarked to journalists, referring to the resolution adopted by the Congress in 1937.
• In his opening remarks, Kharge accused the Modi administration of "destroying" the future of students and stated the Congress would formulate an "Education-to-Employment Roadmap" for young individuals.
• The party remarked its "Chhatron Ki Goonj" programme, aimed at raising matters affecting students, would be held in almost 800 cities.

For context, the decisions were taken at a four-hour session of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). It additionally called on the four Congress-ruled states to prepare reports on reforms needed in their education and examination systems. The chief ministers have been asked to submit the reports to party president Mallikarjun Kharge within a month.

Meanwhile, the CWC resolution triggered concern over paper leaks, the alleged irregularities in Ram temple donations and the Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter, the government's foreign policy, alleged Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh, the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and the impact of E20 fuel.

In practice, the party remarked its "Chhatron Ki Goonj" programme, aimed at raising matters affecting students, would be held in almost 800 cities. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is projected to participate in some of the programmes.

In practice, the programme has already been held in Kota, Dehradun and Prayagraj and will be held in Pune on Saturday, where Gandhi is scheduled to address the gathering.

Notably, the Congress remarked it would take the "chanda chori" problem to the grassroots, directing its Pradesh Congress Committees to raise it at the village and panchayat levels.

"The CWC is deeply distressed by the plight of our youth, " the resolution remarked, alleging that the administration had applied force against student movements and restricted dissent.

In practice, the party additionally described the Monsoon Session of Parliament as a "success" for the Opposition, saying opposition parties had jointly raised matters that put the administration on the defensive.

According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi informed the gathering that the administration was on the back foot and that the Congress should intensify its grassroots campaign against it.

After the CWC session, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal stated the party would follow a 1937 resolution on Vande Mataram and would sing only its first two stanzas at party events.

Asked whether only the first two stanzas would be sung at Congress events, Venugopal remarked, "Yes, first two stanzas."

He remarked Vande Mataram and the National Anthem were emotional matters for the Congress, whereas the BJP treated them as political matters.

Notably, the CWC additionally reiterated its demand for the immediate implementation of women's reservation and for the current strength of the Lok Sabha to remain frozen at 543 seats for another 25 years.

Notably, the party wants one-third reservation for women to be implemented from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections while retaining the present allocation of seats among states during the proposed freeze.

On Arunachal Pradesh, the Congress accused the administration of after a "surrender policy" over alleged Chinese incursions and pressed greater scrutiny of the problem.

Kharge separately questioned Modi's silence over allegations concerning donations to the Ram temple and demanded that the prime minister respond to the matter.

Taken together, the developments around congress to launch nationwide campaign on paper leak, ' chanda chori' resolves to point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.