`Nyay Path': Congress hits out at Centre for weak foreign policy, price rise, MSP

Ahmedabad: Congress adopted the Nyay Path resolution on the last day of the AICC session in Ahmedabad.

The resolution outlines its stance on agriculture, foreign policy, economy, social justice, national harmony, gender equality among other things.

Foreign policy

Accusing the BJP of “weak-kneed and failed foreign policy”, the resolution said successive Congress Governments enhanced India’s global stature and demonstrated leadership on the world stage through a principled and visionary foreign policy.

“Our governments’ foreign policy was always centred around protection of India’s interests, global balance of power, finding solutions through mutual harmony and dialogue, international cooperation and peaceful resolution of disputes”, it said, while regretting, sadly, the current regime has compromised India’s foreign policy at the altar of “individual branding” and serving “vested interests”.

It said, the Congress Party believes that India’s foreign policy can’t be an instrument of divisive politics for the domestic political agenda, as is being done by the BJP government.

It said that China has illegally occupied thousands of square kilometres of Indian territory in Eastern Ladakh, yet the current BJP Government, founded upon the rhetoric of showing “lal aankh” (“red eyes”), has utterly failed to restore the status quo ante, as it existed before April 2020.

It referred to the proposed construction of the world’s largest dam by China on the Brahmaputra River, saying, it is an alarming development, particularly for Assam and other Northeastern States.

Radical elements in Bangladesh

The resolution expressed serious concern over the rise of radical elements in neighbouring Bangladesh, saying it has already created an unsafe environment for religious minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians.

Gaza conflict

Referring to the Middle East crisis, the resolution said, the unfolding of the large-scale humanitarian tragedy, kidnappings, and consequent bombings and thousands of deaths of innocents in Gaza in the Palestine-Israel conflict have met with a studied silence from our ruling regime. It reiterated and reaffirmed the Congress Party’s policy for a negotiated and peaceful resolution, as well as for the creation of a separate state of Palestine as per the U.N. Resolution.

Indo-US relations

On Indo-US relations, the resolution maintained that the Indian National Congress remains a strong votary of close ties between India and the United States, but it can never happen at the expense of India’s national interests.

“During the Prime Minister’s visit to Washington, we were publicly insulted in PM’s presence. Our country was labelled as a ‘Tariff Abuser’,” it noted while pointing out, “Indian migrants were treated like animals and deported from the United States in chains and handcuffs”.

The resolution pointed out, as on April 3, 2025, United States has imposed +27% tariff on Indian Goods exported to United States, which will severely impact India’s foreign trade. U.S., on the other hand, is pressing for reduction of import duties on American goods, particularly in sectors such as Agriculture and Horticulture, Automobiles, and Pharmaceuticals. This would deal a serious blow not only to Indian farmers but also to our dynamic domestic automobile and pharmaceutical industries, the resolution noted.

The resolution called upon the ruling regime to undertake a constructive negotiation with U.S on tariffs by placing our national interests first and after taking into confidence all political parties and stakeholders.

Agriculture and MSP

On agriculture, the Congress reaffirmed its commitment to Legal Guarantee of MSP for “Annadata” (the farmers). It said, the Congress Party has been the harbinger of pro farmer’s policies and decisions, be it the path breaking policy of providing ‘Minimum Support Price’ for crops post-independence or ushering in a new dawn of ‘Green Revolution’ and ‘White Revolution’.

“The Indian National Congress resolves to enact a law for legal guarantee of MSP, fixation of MSP at 50% over cost price, and take decisive steps for a debt-free future for our farmers”, the resolution added.

Sinking economy and economic injustice

On the economy, the Congress resolution expressed grave concern over the “Sinking Economy & Rising Economic Injustice”, which it said was a “Recipe for Disaster”.

It said, the policy of “Economic Liberalisation” with “Inclusive Growth” espoused by the Congress Governments had provided a sound economic edifice for the nation.

It said, between the years 2004 and 2014, India achieved a remarkable average GDP growth rate of 8% per annum under the sagacious leadership of the Dr. Manmohan Singh led Congress Government. During this period, 27 crore fellow Indians were lifted out of poverty and a prosperous middle class comprising of nearly 40 crore people materialised as an important participant in our growth story.

Referring to the current regime, it noted, “in stark disparity, the past decade of the current ruling regime has witnessed the bulldozing of the Rights-based Paradigm to subserve the economic interests of a handful of crony capitalist friends”.

Need for population census

It said, while on one hand, refusal to conduct Census after 2011 has led to denial of “Right to Food” to 11 crore people and on the other hand, 1% of the richest Indians own over 40% of the country’s wealth. Wealth disparity is so extreme that 10% of richest Indians now own 70% of the nation’s wealth.

Tragically, the bottom 50% of the poor and the middle class possess only 6.4% of the nation’s wealth, it added.

Rising prices

The resolution observed that the gravely flawed economic policies have broken the back of the common man. The soaring prices of essential goods have made them unaffordable for crores of ordinary households. The backbreaking LPG Gas cylinder hike of ₹50 with effect from 7 April 2025 has put an additional burden of over ₹9,000 crore per year on the households. On top of it, increase in the excise duty of petrol and diesel by ₹2 per litre, to deny the benefit of reduced petrol/diesel prices to common man emanating from unprecedented fall in the price of crude oil to US $65 per barrel (lowest in last 5 years) is a brazen ‘loot’ by an extortionist government.

Unemployment

Referring to the problem of rampant unemployment, it said, it is now the nation’s biggest epidemic as the unemployment touches a 45-year high. Nearly 30 lakh government jobs are lying vacant. Resultantly, our “Demographic Dividend” is turning into “Demographic Disaster”, with our literate but unemployed young men and women being driven towards drugs and psychotropic substances owing to lack of opportunities.

Congress organisation

Asserting that Organisational Empowerment is our Goal, resolution said, the year 2025 has been declared as a year of organisational empowerment in the special CWC meeting convened in Belagavi. “We are committed to strengthen our organisation in this year to take on and defeat the most arrogant, unjust and oppressive forces”, it added.