No threat to Government’s stability : Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi:  Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said that there is no threat to the UPA government after the exit of Trinamool Congress. She also expressed concern over communal violence in Assam in July that claimed 97 lives and left 4.8 lakh people in relief camps.

Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet here on Tuesday morning, Gandhi told the members that the government is in stable position.

However, the main cause of worry for the government is that some of its allies do not agree with recent economic decisions including FDI in retail and diesel price hike. Major UPA ally, DMK had joined the Opposition called nationwide bandh on September 20 against the government’s decisions.

Even within Congress, there have been voices of disagreement over these economic decisions.

It is noteworthy that Anil Shastri, a special invitee to CWC, had openly opposed the decisions saying they have damaged image of the party. However, some leaders speaking on the condition of anonymity said that the government could have moved a bit more cautiously on the measures.

The Congress top brass on Tuesday convened the party working committee meet at Gandhi’s residence to discuss the political situation following the TMC’s support withdrawal. The CWC has lauded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his ‘big bang’ economic reforms including FDI in multi-brand retail, terming them essential for controlling inflation and the depreciating value of the rupee.

Addressing the meet, the Congress president has emphasised over the need of improving the state of the economy. She also added that the Oppositions’ role has remained unconstructive in the recent time.
Concerned over the prevailing fear among village heads in Kashmir following killing of two of their colleagues in the last two weeks, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday called for addressing the issue.

The matter was raised by a member at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting here chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi.

“The member informed the CWC that panchayat members in the Kashmir Valley are not given due rights and fear psychosis has gripped them following the killing of two sarpanches (village head),” Congress general secretary Janaradan Dwivedi told reporters after the meeting.

“Reacting to it, Rahul Gandhi called for addressing the issue,” he added.

A village headman from the Congress party was gunned down by separatist guerrillas in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district Sunday, while another, from the National Conference, was shot dead in the same area on September 10.