Congress working to strengthen party at grassroots: Bhupesh Baghel

Baghel, who arrived here on a two-day visit, held a series of meetings with party leaders, including one with the District Congress Committee (DCC) president and another meeting of the Political Affairs Committee. The former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said 2025 has been declared by the Congress as the year for strengthening the organization.

"The party is empowering the DCC presidents." He pointed out that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, met all district presidents ahead of the AICC session. He said the party would be strengthened right up to the "booth-level".

Among other things, there was a lot of emphasis on strengthening the party in the recently concluded AICC Session in Ahmedabad.

In an informal conversation with the media on the sidelines of the meetings, Baghel said the basic homework for the extradition of the 26/11 terror attack mastermind Tahawwur Rana was done during the UPA regime only. He said such things take time, while pointing out, even the NDA took 11 years to get him extradited.

At the same time, he added, such issues must be looked at beyond partisan lines, as these are the issues of national interest. "What is important is that he has been extradited to India and he will now face the country's law for the crime he committed."

Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that today's (Friday) meetings focused on strengthening the party in the state and also on the strategy for winning the Ludhiana (West) by-election. He said the party accorded top priority to the by-election and the entire rank and file of the party would ensure victory from there.

Warring said people were not only fed up with the Aam Aadmi Party government but also feeling scared as an atmosphere of fear had been created. He pointed out that the grenade attacks on a temple and on the house of a BJP leader and attempts to desecrate the statues of Baba Saheb Ambedkar appear to be aimed at creating polarisation in the state ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Replying to a question on the Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar's charge that the AAP government was using its intelligence to spy on political opponents, Warring said, "What the BJP is doing at the Centre, the AAP is doing in Punjab."

He pointed out that while the AAP may be using the intelligence in Punjab, the BJP was misusing various agencies like the ED, the CBI and the Income Tax across the country.