Glad my innings could conclude with Bharat Jodo Yatra: Sonia Gandhi at AICC plenary

Congress clarifies that Sonia Gandhi was talking in the context of her tenure as party president and was not talking about retiring from politics.

Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said she was glad that her innings could conclude with the Bharat Jodo Yatra, with the Congress clarifying that she was talking in the context of her tenure as the party president and was not talking about retiring from politics.

Gandhi spoke at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) plenary here after a resolution was passed thanking her for the services rendered to the party. Expressing gratitude to the party for “what has been said about me and for what we have done … what we did under my presidentship and under the UPA government”, Gandhi said, “It also shows how old I have become and how now young people under the leadership of Kharge ji must move forward.”

Looking back at her tenure as Congress president, Gandhi said, “I had the honour of taking office as president for the first time in 1998. Over these 25 years, our party has seen times of high achievement as well as deep disappointment.”

“The support, goodwill, and understanding of each one of you and all the Congress party workers throughout the country have given us all strength. Our victories in 2004 and 2009 along with the able leadership of Dr Manmohan Singh ji gave me personal satisfaction but what gratifies me most is that my innings could conclude with the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Gandhi said.

At a press conference later, Congress’s communications head Jairam Ramesh parried questions when asked whether Gandhi’s remarks meant she was retiring from politics. But, senior Congress leader and AICC general secretary Kumari Selja said Gandhi did not mean to say she was retiring from politics and spoke in the context of her tenure at the helm of the party. Gandhi was the party president when the Yatra started from Tamil Nadu on September 7. Elections for the post of Congress president were held in October and Mallikarjun Kharge formally took charge on October 25.

The Yatra, Gandhi said, had come as a turning point. “It has proved that the people of India overwhelmingly want harmony, tolerance and equality. It has renewed the rich legacy of dialogue between our party and the people through mass contact programmes. It has shown us all that the Congress stands with the people and is ready to fight for them,” she said.

Gandhi said the determination and leadership of Rahul Gandhi were crucial to the Yatra’s success. “This is particularly a challenging time for the Congress and the country as a whole. Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and the BJP/RSS regime have relentlessly captured and subverted every single institution. It ruthlessly silences any voice of Opposition. It has caused economic ruin by favouring a few chosen businessmen at the expense of all others and of the people, of ordinary people,” she said.

“And most distressingly it fuels the fires of fear and hatred against fellow Indians. It viciously targeted minorities and ignored crimes and discrimination against them, against women, against Dalits and against Adivasis. It mocked Gandhi ji and through its words and actions shows its contempt for the values of our Constitution,” Gandhi said.

“In many ways, the situation today reminds me of the time when I first entered politics. Then, as now, we face a difficult struggle ahead. And at this crucial time, each one of us bears a special responsibility towards our party and towards our country … The path ahead is not easy but my experience as well as the rich history of the Congress tells me that victory will be ours. To achieve it under Kharge ji’s leadership, we must tackle the regime with boldness and vigour and stand side by side with the people it attacks. We must reach out to people and convey our message with clarity and cohesion … Above all, we must be ready to put aside our personal expectations, make sacrifices and work with unity and a sense of common purpose.”

She asked the party to remember “the battles our party has won in the past and prepare ourselves for the battle to come.”

New Congress slogan

Meanwhile, arguing that the country was passing “tough times”, Kharge in his speech coined a new slogan for the party — “Seva, Sangharsh, Balidan; Sabse Pehle Hindustan (Service, Struggle, Sacrifice; India before everything else)”.

Kharge said the DNA of those in Delhi was “anti-poor” as they are attempting to destroy democracy, and called for a people’s movement against the prevailing situation in the country.

Taking a swipe at the Prime Minister, Kharge said Modi calls himself “pradhan sevak” but is serving the interests of his “friend”. “This friend has seen his wealth rise by 13 times. The Prime Minister is serving his friend,” he said.

Alleging a “conspiracy to destroy democracy” in India, he said the party was working to unite everyone.

This copy was first published in Indian Express

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