Belgaum : Expressing great hope and strong confidence, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the year-2025 will be the year of strengthening of the party and making it stronger.
In his opening presidential remarks at the extended meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to commemorate 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi having taken over as the president of the Indian National Congress, Kharge said that every Congressman is proud to inherit the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.
He observed, Gandhi remained the president of the Congress just for one year, but he set such high standards that it was impossible for anyone else to match them.
Referring to the 1924 Belagavi session of the Congress, he said, it set new standards and milestones among which abolition of untouchability was an important mission.
Calling for organisational strengthening, Kharge declared 2025 as the “Year of Organisational Empowerment,” emphasising the need for time-bound strategies, grassroots engagement, and nurturing new leadership. He spelt out the measures to strengthen the party from the AICC to the block level. He also emphasised the need for identifying and involving people who are ideologically committed to the idea of India as believed by the Congress.
He said, this not only requires hardwork, but time bound strategy with proper direction. “We must honour the legacy of Gandhi, Nehru, and Ambedkar, while forging ahead with courage and conviction. This Nava Satyagraha meeting is a call to action to defend truth, justice, and constitutional values,” he added.
He disclosed that at the time of 1924 Belagavi Session, communal riots had taken place in the adjoining Gulbarga area. He quoted Mahatma Gandhi remarking about these riots as “When quarrels become a normal thing of life, it is called civil war and parties must fight it out themselves”. He said, Moti Lal Nehru had moved a resolution against these riots also. He regretted that it was unfortunate that even after 100 years, those in power were trying to divide people by provocative speeches and slogans.
The Congress president also referred to the union Home Minister Amit Shah’s insulting remarks about Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar. He said, instead of making him apologise and resign, the Prime Minister had justified and supported these remarks. He said there was widespread anger among people against these remarks.
He asserted that the BJP and the RSS had not given up their pursuit of changing the constitution.
Taking a jibe at the Prime Minister Modi, he said, Modi after becoming the Prime Minister and entering the parliament had bowed before it and soon the old parliament building was abandoned and new one constructed. He said that Modi had also bowed down before the constitution and which leads to apprehension that he may try to change the constitution.
The Congress president condemned the BJP leaders for spreading lies that the Congress mistreated Baba Saheb Ambedkar. He said, it was the Congress government led by Ms Indira Gandhi which had erected big statue of Baba Saheb in the parliament in 1967.
Kharge accused the BJP government of subverting and taking control of the constitutional institutions like the Election Commission of India. He pointed out how the rules were being tweaked to prevent transparency and flow of information to the public domain.
He criticised the BJP for ignoring the interests of farmers pointing out how one of the farmer leaders had gone for fast unto death. He said, compared to that the Congress led UPA government had provided Rs 70,000 crore debt relief to the farmers besides bringing in rights based laws like the Right to Food, Right to Information, MGNREGA etc.
The event ended on an inspiring note with Kharge quoting poet Bhawani Prasad Mishra: “When the truth is under attack, one must speak boldly, even if it means risking everything.”
Those present included Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress treasurer Ajay Maken, General Secretary Organisation KC Venugopal, General Secretary in charge Randeep Surjewala, Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, CWC members, permanent and special invitees, former Chief Ministers, PCC presidents and CLP leaders from across the country.
