The three-day Chintan Shivir (brainstorming session) of the Congress will begin in Udaipur on Friday, and the grand old party hopes that the meet will be a “new milestone of hope, aspirations and change.” More than 400 functionaries of the opposition party will discuss on politics, economy, agriculture, social justice, organisation and issues pertaining to youth during the session.

At a briefing to reporters in Udaipur, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “India is enduring a painful and vicious assault on its democracy, economy, and societal harmony.”

Gehlot said the BJP’s dream of a Congress-free India will not happen, and he said the three-day shivir will give a new resolve to the party.

Surjewala said the Congress resolves to work for a new India of progress, prosperity, and societal harmony. He said the party will introspect, contemplate, and reflect upon the way forward and new milestones to be traversed in the session. “The insurmountable “wealth inequality” in India means that the wealth of the 142 richest Indians has gone up by ₹30 lakh crore in one year, whereas the income of 84 per cent of Indian households dropped drastically. Instead of receiving ₹15 lakh in every account, the existing savings of common people have been lost,” he said.

He added that the freefall of the Indian economy has resulted in the Indian rupee falling to an abysmal level of one dollar valued at ₹77.50. “On the other hand, India’s debt has shockingly risen from ₹55 lakh crore in the year 2014 to ₹135 lakh crore in the year 2022. The Modi government is taking on a debt of ₹4,000 crore daily. Every Indian has a debt of ₹1,00,000 on his/her head,” he said.

Six subjects

Surjewala said the bulldozer of bigotry, superstition, sectarianism, fanaticism, injustice, and intolerance heaped upon the country by the BJP government has to a large extent trampled upon India’s march ahead. “The Indian National Congress has therefore chosen six subjects and constituted groups to examine and submit their primary reports on actionables for the same. These groups are: political, social justice and empowerment, economy, Congress Organisation, Kisan and Khet Mazdoor, and youth. These groups will present their first impressions for a conclusive discussion during the Chintan Shivir,” he added.

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