Congress meet on Parliament winter session strategy today

NEW DELHI: Congress’ Saturday conclave to mark the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru will signal the party’s post-Bihar readiness to aggressively take on the Modi government, along with like-minded Opposition parties, in the winter session of Parliament over a range of issues including “growing intolerance”, FDI clearance, revival of the Lalit Modi issue, prices of pulses etc.

Party chief Sonia Gandhi, her deputy Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders will address the meeting which is also expected to highlight the need for the coming together of like-minded parties against NDA regime.

The AICC on Friday set the tone by formally announcing the Congress decision to oppose in Parliament the FEMA notification of the recent Cabinet decision to allow up to 49% FDI in defence sector through automatic route as well by charging the Modi government with “creating fear in the country.”

ETwas first to report this in its Friday edition. Addressing a press conference, senior party leader Anand Sharma said that Congress would not allow the removal of CCS’ role in allowing FDI in the defence sector and that the recent decision was taken by the PM without taking the Cabinet into confidence.

“It is perhaps the first time that major FDI decisions were taken without the approval of the Union Cabinet,” Sharma said. He also said that the Congress was also opposed to the Cabinet decision to hike FDI in electronic media, particularly in news and current affairs, saying that it could lead to increasing foray of foreign media monopoly in domestic media sector.