CWC demands withdrawal of CAA, stopping of NPR process

The Congress Working Committee on Saturday demanded that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act should be withdrawn and the process of NPR be stopped forthwith, as it accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of using its brute majority to impose a "divisive and discriminatory" agenda.

The Congress top brass meeting, chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi, deliberated upon the social, economic and political challenges confronting the country after which it passed a resolution on "suppression of the voice of youth and the students of India".

"The Modi government has unleashed the entire might of the brute state power to suppress, subjugate and stifle the voice of the youth and students across the country. The prime minister and the BJP government have betrayed the trust of the youth," the resolution stated.

Almost every institution in the country -- Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia University , Banaras Hindu University, Allahabad University, Aligarh Muslim University, and many others have seen massive protests, it noted.

The CWC expresses its solidarity with the youth and the students in their fight for defending the Constitution, standing for independent and creative learning and aspiring for employment-linked education at a minimal expense, the resolution said.

Apart from Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, top party leaders P Chidambaram, Anand Sharma, A K Antony, K C Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jyotiraditya Scindia were among those present.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was not present at the meeting.

The Congress also released a statement on the four main issues that were discussed -- the CAA, NRC, NPR and students protests; the state of the economy; the situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir; and the US-Iran tensions.

"The CWC demands that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act should be withdrawn and the process of NPR be stopped forthwith," a party statement said.

The CWC calls upon the government to reveal its roadmap for reviving the economy, investors' confidence and job creation, it said.

The party's top decision-making body also called for lifting of curbs and restoration of civil liberties in Jammu and Kashmir.

It also expressed deep concerns over the recent developments in the Gulf region where tensions have spiralled between the US and Iran over the killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.