Cong convention on Jan 11 against govt's 'anti-poor' policies

With an aim to turn demonetisation into a major issue in the upcoming assembly polls in five states, Congress will hold a national convention on January 11 here against the "anti-poor" policies of the Modi government.

All top leaders of the party including CWC members, AICC delegates, PCC chiefs and all party MPs and MLAs from states are being invited for the day-long meet, which will be held at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium and will be addressed by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul has been at the forefront of the fight against the Modi government on the demonetisation issue and has brought several Opposition parties together.
 

Party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi has sent a note to all MPs, MLAs, PCC chiefs and office bearers across the country, urging them to attend the national convention in a big way to highlight the "anti-people" and "anti-poor" policies of the Modi government including demonetisation that has caused harassment to a large number of people.

Congress plans to utilise the convention to send a message to the people that the prime minister brought "misery and suffering" to the people through what Gandhi has described as a "single biggest arbitrary decision in the history of the world" taken by an individual affecting the lives of 1.3 billion people.

Demands for the elevation of Rahul, who has of late assumed a leadership role in the absence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi due to her ill-health, may also crop up during the day-long convention which will see party leaders from across the country converge in the national capital.

In its bid to step up the attack on the Modi dispensation, Congress will hold a series of programmes including demonstrations across the country on the issues of demonetisation and "personal corruption" of prime minister.

Starting tomorrow, top Congress leaders will hold Pradesh Congress committees and party workers will gherao various district headquarters on January 6 and 7.

This will be followed by "thali pradarshans" at block level to be organised by Mahila Congress workers on January 9.

The programme was earlier finalised at a meeting of top party leaders on December 26 that was chaired by Rahul Gandhi.