New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) met Thursday, December 21, amidst a buzz triggered about Rahul Gandhi’s possible East to West Bharat Jodo Yatra. The CWC in its meeting said that democracy is under assault, with all freedoms guaranteed to citizens in the constitution under attack.In the press conference following the meeting, General Secretary (Organisation), K.C. Venugopal said that CWC members had requested Gandhi to undertake Bharat Jodo Yatra from east to west, and “a decision on it was expected soon.”The CWC issued a statement, condemning “in the strongest possible terms the suspension of 143 INDIA party MPs from both Houses of Parliament. These MPs were simply demanding that the Home Minister make a statement on the extraordinary events of December 13th 2023 in the Lok Sabha and on the role of the BJP MP from Mysuru in facilitating the entry of the two intruders who caused the serious security breach. The suspension was done also to ensure that the Opposition was not present to challenge the Modi Government as it bulldozed three draconian criminal justice laws through.”CWC members have requested Rahul Gandhi to undertake Bharat Jodo Yatra from east to west, decision on it soon: Cong leader KC Venugopal— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 21, 2023The Working Committee said it is “fully prepared at the earliest to fight the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections both as a party in its own right and also as a member of the INDIA group. It reiterates the determination of the Indian National Congress to take all steps necessary to make the INDIA group an effective bulwark and force against the BJP and its allies.”Economic issues were highlighted in the statement of the highest body in the Opposition Congress, and attention drawn to social polarisation being encouraged. “Economic inequalities are widening while prices of essential commodities continue to rise and a growing jobs famine haunts the youth. There is a vast gap between what the Prime Minister claims and what the ground realities are. Social polarization is deepening and is being encouraged deliberately in a provocative manner for electoral gains. Democracy itself is under assault and all freedoms that our citizens are guaranteed under the Constitution are under attack.”The statement said, “these are the issues at stake now.”This meeting of the CWC asserted that “preparations for the Lok Sabha polls have already commenced. The Hain Taiyyar Hum rally being held in Nagpur on our Foundation days a week from now is a very important step in this regard. The Congress President has been conducting state-wise reviews which are giving direction to the preparations. In addition, the CWC welcomes the latest initiative to strengthen the party’s finances through broad-based public participation.”On Wednesday, the Hindu reported that the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi took stock of the recent loss in the state Assembly election in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. She said that to say that it had been very disappointing was “an understatement”.“Our ideology and our values are our guiding light at this difficult time. We must never forget that our leaders fought against insurmountable odds, with great courage and fortitude, to give us our freedom,” she said. She congratulated the party for the Telangana win.She told the parliamentary party that it took four days for the Prime Minister to speak about the security breach in parliament and that too outside Parliament. She said the government was “distorting history and twisting facts” to defame patriots such as Jawaharlal Nehru.“In these efforts, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have taken the lead themselves, but we will not be intimidated or cowed down. We will persist in telling the truth,” she said.The former Congress chief also said that “unemployment is soaring higher than in decades, and wealth is being concentrated in the hands of a select clique of industrialists. Prices of everyday commodities are skyrocketing. The poor are suffering.”Ms. Gandhi also accused the government of “distorting history and twisting facts” to defame patriots, such as Jawaharlal Nehru. “In these efforts, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have taken the lead themselves, but we will not be intimidated or cowed down. We will persist in telling the truth,” she said.