Stepping up its offensive against the BJP-led government, the Congress today said it will launch a public campaign to "expose" the Centre on corruption issue by highlighting the Rafale deal and bank scams, and accused the BJP of "befooling" the people by politicising the NRC process.
The principal opposition party at a meeting of its working committee decided to stake ownership of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise, saying it was Congress' "baby", and vowed to stand with every Indian citizen who has been left out in the draft list.
The CWC, which was chaired by party chief Rahul Gandhi, also decided to highlight the issue of "bad" state of the economy in the country as part of its public campaign (Jan Andolan), details of which would be worked out soon.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was not present in the meeting.
"The CWC met today. As a team, we discussed the political situation in the country and the huge opportunity for the Congress to highlight issues of corruption and failure of the government to provide jobs to our youth. Thank you to all those who attended today's meeting," Rahul Gandhi said.
Taking to Twitter, he said, "One of the highlights of today's CWC meeting, was Mr Antony's brilliant description of the Rafale robbery: 130,000 crore stolen from the people of India and given to a friend who was Rs 45,000 crore in debt."
Giving details of the meeting, AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot said issues relating to NRC in Assam, "corruption by Modi government and its failure on economy" were discussed.
"In a way the party launched its preparations for the upcoming assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha polls," he told reporters, adding that the CWC discussed the challenges before the party and the nation in the run-up to these elections.
"The NRC is a baby of the Congress party...The Congress party will ensure that no Indian citizens is deprived of his legitimate right. The Congress stands committed to help and assist every Indian Citizen in this endeavour," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said after the meeting.
He said the issue was discussed at length at the CWC meet which asserted that the NRC is a consequence of Assam Accord signed by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985, to which the party was committed.
Surjewala said that CWC deliberated on five major issues - NRC process in Assam, corruption including Rafale and bank frauds, "failing economy, rampant unemployment and agrarian distress".
"CWC noted with anguish the failing state of economy and tax terrorism that prevails today in the country. Government has discovered the virtues of pre-liberalized regime moving towards a system of tax terrorism control and 'licence raj'," he said.
He said the Congress chief and CWC expressed deep concern on the state of joblessness and the severe agrarian distress.
Surjewala said the party would "expose the complicity and connivance" of the Modi government in the escape of the fugitive billionaire and will highlight the issue along with the Rafale deal.
Surjewala said neither the Prime Minister nor the Defence Minister are disclosing the price of the jets purchased by this government and claimed that the price fixed during UPA was Rs 526 crore against Rs 1,676 crore for the jets purchased under NDA, that has caused a loss of Rs 48,000 crore to the exchequer.
He alleged that the BJP was politicising NRC issue for electoral gains and to deflect public attention from "failures" of the government including on bank scams and Rafale deal and demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.
Surjewala cited figures provided by the government in Parliament to claim that while Modi government in last four years deported only 1,822 foreign nations, the Congress-led UPA government had deported 82,728 foreigners (Bangladeshis) between 2005 and 2013.
The Congress leader said the Congress government headed by Manmohan Singh sanctioned Rs 489 crore in 2009 for appointing 25,000 enumerators for the NRC process. "The CWC noted with grave concern the deliberate and diabolic agenda of the BJP to play politics to use NRC as a divisive and emotional tool for misleading the people.
Every Indian citizen must be given full opportunity to establish their credentials and prove their citizenship in "a just, equitable and humane manner, without any fear or favour", the party said.
On BJP Amit Shah making it a poll issue in Rajasthan, he said "fake jumlas (rhetoric), empty steam and a divisive mindset' is the DNA of Shah" and asked him to stop "lying" on deportation of foreigners
"Amit Shah should now apologise to the nation for manufacturing lies and misleading the country purely for political vote garnering in a sinister fashion," he said.
Surjewala also dared Modi and Shah to clarify their stance on Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, accusing them of "duplicity". He said the Bill seeks to give citizenship to foreigners undoing the entire process of NRC.
"PM Modi, Amit Shah and (Assam chief minister) Sonowal cannot fool all the people all the time. Time has come for them to answer to people," he said.
The meeting was attended by top party leaders including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, A K Antony, Ghulam Nabi Aza, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel and Ashok Gehlot. Leaders from Assam were also invited for the discussion.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)