By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 8 Jan: All India Congress Committee General Secretary and State Congress in-charge Kumari Selja today claimed that the entire country has been shocked by the revelations in the Ankita Bhandari case and asserted that the Congress would not remain silent until a CBI investigation under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Supreme Court is formally announced. Addressing a press conference during her visit to Uttarakhand after a meeting of the State Political Affairs Committee at Hotel Madhuban here today, Selja said the case is not about a single daughter alone but about justice for many such daughters across the country, and the party was committed to pursuing accountability at every level.
Kumari Selja said the party leadership discussed the Ankita Bhandari case at length and resolved to intensify the struggle both politically and on the streets. She maintained that the demand for a court-monitored CBI inquiry reflected the sentiments of the people and was essential to restore faith in the justice delivery system. She said the Congress would continue to raise the issue relentlessly until justice is ensured for Ankita and accountability is fixed.
Mentioning the MNREGA scheme, Kumari Selja alleged that the Narendra Modi-led Central Government is intent on destroying the soul of the employment guarantee scheme. She said the issue is not limited to a mere change of name but involved the dilution of a demand-based legal right to employment, under which the government is bound to provide work. She alleged that the proposed law seeks to convert MNREGA into a supply-driven scheme, where employment would depend on budgetary allocations and conditions fixed by the Centre, thereby weakening the authority of village pradhans and dismantling the structure of decentralised governance.
Explaining the financial implications, she said that under the original framework the Centre bore nearly 90 per cent of the labour cost, whereas under the new law this has been revised to a 60:40 ratio for most states, while remaining 90:10 for the North-Eastern and Himalayan states. She said this change would impose a heavy financial burden on states and discourage them from providing employment. She further claimed that the new provisions allow work to be stopped for up to 60 days during peak agricultural seasons to ensure the availability of farm labour, a move she said would weaken the bargaining power of workers and push them into dependence on landowners. According to her, a scheme that once guaranteed employment has now become a guarantee of unemployment.
Announcing a nationwide protest, Kumari Selja said a coordinated campaign would be launched across the country over the new MNREGA law. Drafts and pamphlets detailing the shortcomings of the new law would be prepared, translated into local languages and distributed among the people. She said district-level press conferences would be held across Uttarakhand on 10 January, followed by protests on 11 January in front of statues of Mahatma Gandhi or Baba Saheb Ambedkar. She added that from 12 January till 29 January, Chaupals would be organised in a phased manner at the panchayat level to mobilise public opinion.
The press conference was moderated by former Media Chairman Rajiv Maharshi. Those present included State Congress President Ganesh Godiyal, former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Election Campaign Committee Chairman Pritam Singh, Congress Working Committee (CWC) members Gurdeep Sappal and Karan Mahra, Co-in-charges Surendra Sharma and Manoj Yadav, MLA and National Secretary Qazi Nizamuddin, Election Management Committee Chairman Dr Harak Singh Rawat, and MLAs Mamta Rakesh, Manoj Tiwari and Vikram Singh Negi. Also present were former National Secretary Prakash Joshi, former Minister Navprabhat, former MPs Pradeep Tamta and Mahendra Singh Pal, Spokesperson Dr Pratima Singh and others.
