Congress asks secular forces to unite

Jaipur, Jan 20:

today called on all secular forces and progressive forces of the country to unite in ideological battle against those who polarise and divide the society.

In its 56-page draft Jaipur declaration, the party said Congress will go to the people on the basis of the performance of UPA government, the promise of stability and good governance and restatement of its core values.

The party said it will continue to be at the forefront of fighting corruption, especially at the bureaucratic and political levels.

Re-committing itself to representing India's middle ground, the party acknowledged that there is a rising educated and aspirational middle class, especially in urban areas and it will continue to create new opportunities for them.

On Pakistan, the draft said India's neighbours and partners must recognise its legitimate security concerns. "Any dialogue must be based on accepted principles of civilised behaviour. When these principles are violated India should not hesitate to take credible action," it said.

Maintaining that nepotism in the organisation's structure is a cause of concern, the draft said when leaders recommend a candidate they must be willing to take responsibility in case of failure.

The party said the number of terms for presidents of Pradesh Congress Committees and District Congress Committees should be restricted to two and the tenure should not be more than three years.

It said it will launch mass contact programmes at different levels to gather feedback on people's aspirations and priorities.

Winnability alone, the draft said, should not be the benchmark for deciding nominees. There should be a balance required between loyalty and winnability, it said.

The draft declaration spoke about two Indias and pledged to speak for both the young middle class India and the young deprived India. It also promised to create ten million jobs every year.

PTI