Sonia to firm up Congress strategy over UCC, other issues ahead of parliament's monsoon session

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi will deliberate on the party's strategy on the Uniform Civil Code in the upcoming monsoon session of the parliament set to begin on July 20. -- Reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi: Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will on Saturday discuss and firm up the party's strategy with senior leaders for the coming monsoon session of Parliament, with a special focus on the controversial Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Sonia, who is chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, will discuss the party’s strategy over the proposed UCC and other critical issues including Manipur, Chinese incursions, price rise, and JPC on Adani and how to forge larger opposition unity over these issues. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and key leaders from both houses including Jairam Ramesh, P Chidambaram, Pramod Tiwari, Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh and Manickam Tagore will attend the strategy meeting. The Monsoon session of Parliament is set to begin on July 20.

“We will discuss strategy for the coming Parliament session. We will strongly counter the government on various issues during the monsoon session,” Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told ETV Bharat. According to party insiders, the broad view within the party is that the UCC is being pushed by PM Modi to benefit the BJP electorally in the coming assembly polls in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and later in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

In a press note published on June 14, 2023, the 22nd Law Commission of India notified its intention to examine the Uniform Civil Code. This was being done, the press note clarified, on a reference sent by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The PM batted for the UCC and asked if the country needed two sets of laws on June 28.

The same day (June 28) the UCC issue came up when Rahul Gandhi and Kharge were reviewing poll strategy for Chhattisgarh along with senior state leaders. Rahul heard the views of various leaders and finally said that the Constitution and its values were supreme for the Congress and urged the party leaders to avoid falling into the BJP’s trap.

After the review meeting, senior state leader TS Singh Deo denied the UCC was an issue in Chhattisgarh but remarked if the BJP would raise it, the saffron party would be defeated as it happened in Karnataka. “We know the BJP’s intentions and have to be prepared with an effective counter,” said a senior AICC functionary.

The UCC issue has already invited divergent reactions from regional parties like the AAP, which has backed it in principle, and the Shiv Sena UBT, which has supported it with a rider. The DMK, TMC, NCP and the SAD have opposed the move. During the previous budget session, both Shiv Sena UBT and AAP had joined the Congress in demanding a JPC probe into the Adani issue. However, of late the AAP has been slamming the Congress over a controversial Delhi ordinance related to the appointment of officers.

Forging opposition unity would be critical during the monsoon session as well for the Congress which is scheduled to host the second opposition meeting in Bengaluru on July 14. The monsoon session is likely to start on July 17. Besides, the Congress will slam the PM for his silence over the civil strife in northeastern Manipur, which Rahul visited recently and appealed for peace during the monsoon session. The JPC on Adani, price rise, joblessness and Chinese incursions too will be raised, said party insiders.