Pahalgam attack- Entire country awaits accountability, justice: CWC
Seeks ‘clear timeline’ for every stage of caste survey
New Delhi: The Congress on Friday urged the Centre to act with firmness in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack to penalise Pakistan for its continued export of terror, and pressed for time-bound accountability into the “serious lapses” in security and intelligence in one of the most heavily-guarded regions of the country.
The opposition party made the assertions in a resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC), which was chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and general secretaries Jairam Ramesh, K C Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, among others.
“The entire country awaits accountability, answers and justice. In the face of such an unforgivable provocation, the Congress believes this is not a time for politics but a moment that calls for unity, strength, and national resolve.
“We must rise above partisan divides and send out an unambiguous message that India stands together, and will not be broken,” the resolution said.
The Congress also asserted that 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 full consequences for their actions. The Congress 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,” the resolution said.
The Congress also called for sustained moral and institutional support to the families of the victims of the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 persons, mostly holidayers, on April 22.
“Compensation alone is not enough. Long-term rehabilitation, mental health support, and honouring the memory of those lost through national recognition and civic remembrance are equally essential,” the party said.
The CWC reaffirmed its earlier demand for “time-bound accountability” into the “serious lapses” in security and intelligence in one of the most heavily-guarded regions of the country.
The people of India deserve transparency and accountability, the party asserted.
“The CWC stands in solidarity and support with the 26 families, who lost their loved ones in the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam,” the resolution said.
“The pain of these families is the pain of the entire nation. The CWC stands with them, not only in words but in enduring solidarity,” it added.
The CWC also it reiterated its appeal to all citizens to remain united, calm and resolute.
“Let our response to this act of terror reflect the strength of our democracy, the depth of our unity, and the resilience of our Republic,” the party said.
The Congress also asked the government to announce a “clear timeline” for every stage of the caste survey and reiterated its demand for removing the “arbitrary ceiling” of 50 per cent on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs.
The opposition party made the assertion in a resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC), which was chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by former chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and general secretaries Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, among others.
“After 11 years of continued opposition and stubborn refusal, the Modi government has finally conceded to the demand of the Congress to collect population data caste wise as part of the next census. For 11 years, the prime minister attacked the Congress leadership for raising this demand,” the CWC said in the resolution.
No details, however, have been provided of what the government intends to do and no financial allocations have been made, it said.
The resolution recalled that the Congress president had written to the prime minister on April 16, 2023, demanding an up-to-date and comprehensive caste survey.
He has also been demanding removal of the arbitrary 50 per cent ceiling on reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), according to the resolution.
Noting that Rahul Gandhi was the “strongest and most consistent” voice demanding a nationwide caste survey, the party said he had raised the urgent need to gather data on caste so that government policies could truly reflect the lived realities of the marginalised during the 2022 Nav Sankalp Shivir in Udaipur.
“This demand was reiterated at the Congress plenary in Raipur in 2023, and was a central feature of both the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha manifestoes of the Congress. In Parliament, in speeches across the country, and during the two Bharat Jodo Yatras, and most recently at a press conference, Rahul Gandhi has asserted that caste census was essential for deepening social justice,” the party said.
He had stated that policies of reservation, welfare and inclusion could not be based on outdated assumptions or arbitrary caps but must be grounded in facts, it pointed out.
The Congress also demanded urgent implementation of Article 15(5) of the Constitution, which enables the provision of reservation for OBCs, Dalits, and Adivasis in private educational institutions.
“This demand was clearly articulated in the Congress manifesto and reaffirmed by Rahul Gandhi as a necessary and overdue step toward educational justice,” according to the resolution.
In an era when private institutions play an increasingly dominant role in higher education, the exclusion of marginalised communities from these spaces only worsens inequality, the party said.
“Article 15(5) is not just a constitutional provision, it is a social justice imperative. The Congress firmly believes that quality education must be made accessible to OBCs, EBCs (Extremely Backward Classes), Dalits and Adivasis in both public and private institutions alike,” the CWC said in the resolution.
The CWC also said it believed that the model followed by Telangana provided an effective and inclusive framework the government of India must emulate.
In Telangana, the design of the caste survey was developed through a consultative and transparent process, with the active involvement of civil society, social scientists and community leaders, it pointed out.
“Rather than being a closed bureaucratic exercise, it was open to public inputs and scrutiny,” the party added.
The CWC strongly urged the Centre to adopt a similar approach for the national caste survey.
“We offer our full support in helping the government shape a credible, scientific and participatory model. We are ready to collaborate on designing a framework that reflects the values of consultation, accountability and inclusiveness,” the CWC said in the resolution.
The Congress asserted that this exercise must not be delayed.
“All political parties must be taken into full confidence. Parliament must immediately have a debate on this issue. The government must immediately allocate the necessary funds and announce a clear timeline for every stage of the census, from the preparation of the questionnaire and methodology to the actual enumeration, classification and eventual publication of the data,” it said.
The party stressed that the process must be transparent and inclusive at every step.
“The data collected should serve as the basis for a wide-ranging review of public policy, especially in the areas of reservations, welfare schemes, educational access and employment opportunities,” it said.
The CWC asserted that a caste survey, properly designed and implemented, would work to the benefit of all sections of society.
