New Delhi: The Congress on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to federalism and promised a slew of steps to push peace and development in key areas across the country.
According to party insiders, the points on federalism were included in the poll manifesto as over the past years, the Congress and other opposition parties like AAP, TMC and DMK have been targeting the Centre for violating the spirit of 'cooperative federalism' as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he came to power in 2014.
West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and Karnataka CM K Siddaramaiah have been alleging that they are not getting due share in the central funds.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls manifesto, titled Nyay Patra (Justice Document), the grand old party promised immediate restoration of full statehood to Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir and said it will amend the Sixth Schedule of Constitution to include tribal areas of UT Ladakh if voted to power at the Centre.
In the south, the party promised to give special category status to Andhra Pradesh, an issue which has been pending for the past 10 years, and full statehood to UT Puducherry.
In the national capital of Delhi, the party said it will amend the 1991 NCT of Delhi Act so that the Lt Governor shall act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers of NCT Delhi except on three reserved subjects.
In the north-east, the party promised to remove the present BJP government in Manipur and to set up a Reconciliation Commission for political and administrative setup in the state to ensure appropriate compensation and redressal for victims and survivors of communal strife there. The party also promised to work out a final solution and agreement with the various groups to establish lasting peace in Nagaland.
"The people of Manipur are still in distress and yearn for peace to return to the state. Recently, our candidate from the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat Prof Akoijam Bimol Angomcha was threatened. We have reported the matter to the police and to the Election Commission. You can imagine the plight of common people. Many of them are still in the camps," All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Manipur Girish Chodankar told ETV Bharat.
"The state was burning last year and our leader Rahul Gandhi went to assure the people. We demanded the dismissal of the state government which remained a silent spectator during the violence but nothing happened. We urged the Prime Minister to visit the state but he did not go. The PM recently visited Kolkata and Guwahati but could not go to Manipur. That was the reason why Rahul Gandhi started his Bharat Jodo Nyay yatra from Manipur on January 14. The locals came out in large numbers to support him," he said.
Chodankar, who is also in charge of Nagaland, said the grand old party will push lasting peace in the key north-eastern state if it comes to power at the Centre.
In Delhi, where the power tussle between the LG and the Arvind Kejriwal government has been ongoing for years, the Supreme Court ruled last year that an elected government needed control over officers.
However, a controversial ordinance passed by the Parliament in August last year allowed the LG to appoint officers in the Delhi government despite stiff opposition from the entire opposition.
"We are all together to save democracy and the Constitution in the country. If we come to power, we will amend the 1991 law which says the LG should act on the advice of the council of ministers in the Delhi government. The state government is elected by the people and is answerable to them,” Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely told ETV Bharat.
In Andhra Pradesh, the Congress is banking on the special category status to revive the party in the southern state. "No doubt, this is a big issue in the state as it will bring huge funds to push development," AICC secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh CD Meyyappan told ETV Bharat.
