New Delhi, 19 August (H.S.): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), sought answers from the Central government on issues concerning the condition of the country’s youth, alleged irregularities involving donations to the Ram temple and border security. He urged CWC members to deliberate extensively on these issues and prepare the party for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the states. Senior party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, K.C. Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi, were present at the meeting.

Kharge said the party was meeting for the first time after the conclusion of the Parliament session and that the situation of the country’s youth was its biggest concern. He alleged that the government’s “wrong policies” had pushed young people into a cycle of frustration and unemployment. Neglect of education and employment, paper leaks and recruitment scams had compelled young people to take to the streets, he said. Kharge added that the Congress would formulate a clear and time-bound education-to-employment roadmap for the youth.

Referring to the policies of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Kharge said he had placed young people at the centre of his governance by lowering the voting age, establishing the Navodaya Vidyalaya network and linking education policy with employment and skill development. He claimed that Congress governments had given the country a new direction through education and the IT revolution, but alleged that the Modi government had “ruined the future” of the youth over the past 12 years.

Kharge said the Prime Minister had announced the formation of the Ram Temple trust in Parliament and that people had donated with the expectation of transparency and honesty, but alleged that a major scam had subsequently come to light. He demanded that the Prime Minister apologise to devotees and provide a clear explanation.

On national security, Kharge said serious facts relating to alleged Chinese encroachment had emerged, but alleged that instead of providing transparent information, the government had dismissed reports as incorrect. He said politics should not be played over national security, but neither could serious concerns be ignored. He also questioned the Prime Minister’s statement following the Galwan clash that “no one has intruded and no one has intruded into our territory,” saying it remained under scrutiny.

Kharge said the future of the youth, people’s faith and the country’s borders were all issues linked to government accountability. He urged the CWC to deliberate seriously on these matters and present alternatives and solutions before the country. With elections in five states approaching, he said the Congress must be fully prepared.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar