The Congress Working Committee meeting on Friday urged the Modi government to “act with firmness and strategic clarity” “to teach Pakistan a lesson” for the Pahalgam massacre and for exporting terror to India even as some leaders questioned the “delay” in retaliatory strike and said it was raising “questions” about the “competence” of the government. The CWC meeting also claimed it was the campaign by the party, especially by Rahul Gandhi, that made the Centre announce the caste census. Some leaders, including Gandhi, were learnt to have underscored at the meeting the need to constantly campaign to project Congress’ role in pushing for the caste census. The CWC resolution reiterated the party’s solidarity with the families of the Pahalgam victims, questioned “Intelligence failure”, sought “accountability”, pledged the party’s commitment to national unity and then demanded from the government ‘action’. “This is a time for demonstrating our collective will as a nation to teach Pakistan a lesson and curb terrorism decisively. The masterminds and perpetrators of this cowardly attack must face the full consequences of their actions. The Congress party urges the Government of India to act with firmness, strategic clarity, and international coordination to isolate and penalise Pakistan for its continued export of terror into our territory”.Party president Mallikarjun Kharge told the CWC: “While the Congress has extended full support to the government after the Pahalgam massacre but even after several days, no clear strategy is visible from the government side”.Later, Charanjit Singh Channi said at a post-meeting media briefing: “The government’s competency and accountability is under question. The whole nation is waiting for action, we demand the government to go ahead”. Sachin Pilot referred to the “national mood” and “expectation” of decisive action from the Centre and pointed out how the Congress leadership has extended full support to the government in national interest.On the caste census front, the CWC meeting congratulated Rahul Gandhi, saying his campaign forced the government’s hand and said “for 11 years, the PM attacked the Congress leadership for raising this demand. Rahul Gandhi has been the strongest and most consistent voice demanding a nationwide caste census. At the 2022 Nav Sankalp Shivir in Udaipur, he raised the urgent need to gather data on caste so that government policies could truly reflect the lived realities of the marginalised. This demand was reiterated at the Congress plenary in Raipur in 2023…” the resolution said.
The CWC resolution demanded a “timeline” on caste census and sought the Centre to follow the “Telangana model”.