Congress Working Committee steers clear of Dharma row, members pitch for second Rahul yatra

The Congress on Saturday steered clear of the Sanatana Dharma controversy, saying the party believes in 'sarva dharma sambhav' or equal respect for all religions. Senior leaders said the party will not be drawn into the controversy sparked by DMK leader and Tamil Nadu youth welfare minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's statement that Sanatana Dharma divides people in the name of caste and religion.

At the two-day Congress Working Committee meeting, which began in Hyderabad on Saturday, party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said the Congress should close ranks to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and strengthen the INDIA bloc.

Some party leaders also pitched for the second leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi. The CWC meeting was still continuing at the time of writing.


"The Congress president has made it absolutely clear that the Congress Party is not willing to be drawn into any controversy on Sanatana Dharma. We believe in sarva dharma sambhav, equal respect for all religions. We stand by that. That has been the Congress position for many decades," senior leader P Chidambaram said briefing the media along with Jairam Ramesh while the CWC meeting was still on. He claimed DMK leaders were not speaking against any religion but were criticising "caste oppression and caste hierarchy".

Earlier, in his opening address to the CWC, Kharge said that in the backdrop of the violence in Manipur and Haryana, an attempt was being made by the ruling front to create communal divisions. He also stressed on the Congress Party's "faith in sarva dharma sambhav".

Referring to the INDIA bloc, Kharge told the CWC, "Today 27 INDIA parties stand together on fundamental issues of importance. After three successful meetings, the INDIA alliance is forging ahead to combat the anti-people and anti-democratic BJP government. Perturbed at this development, the BJP government is resorting to vindictive action against opposition parties".

Chidambaram told the media that many CWC members had requested for a second leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra, this time from the east to the west. "That decision is under consideration," he said.