Key Points
- Mallikarjun Kharge addresses Congress’s 140th anniversary, declares party’s backbone remains strong
- Accuses BJP of divisive politics, hiding government data, delaying census, and attempting constitutional changes
- Questions RSS/BJP’s historical acceptance of Constitution, tricolor flag, Ashoka Chakra, and Vande Mataram
- Highlights UPA’s landmark legislations, RTI, RTE, MNREGA, Food Security Act, Forest Rights Act
- Congress founded December 28, 1885, at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Mumbai with 72 representatives
- Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and senior leaders attend flag hoisting ceremony at Indira Bhavan
Speaking before a gathering of party workers and senior leaders, Kharge delivered a powerful message to critics who have written obituaries for the Congress party. “Those who think the Congress is finished are mistaken,” he declared emphatically, adding that even though the party may have less power in Parliament, its ideological backbone remains unyielding. Kharge made it clear that the Congress has never bargained for power, nor has it ever compromised on the Constitution, secularism, or the rights of the poor. His remarks come at a time when the Congress holds only 99 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, its weakest position since independence, yet the party has shown signs of revival with recent victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka assembly elections. The party president’s speech aimed to boost morale among workers who have faced electoral setbacks and defections in states like Maharashtra and Goa.
Sharp Attack on BJP’s Divisive Politics
Kharge launched a scathing critique of the BJP’s governance model, alleging that while the Congress works to unite the country, the ruling party believes in divisive politics. He accused the BJP government of lacking truthfulness, citing instances where it allegedly hid unemployment data, stopped the census process, and occasionally talked about changing the Constitution. “The Congress has always kept religion confined to faith, but some people have made it a weapon of politics and spread hatred in the name of temples and mosques,” Kharge asserted, referring to recent controversies surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque dispute and the Karnataka hijab row. He pointed to the government’s handling of the Manipur violence and the farmers’ protests as examples of how the BJP uses religious polarization to divert attention from governance failures. The Congress president also criticized the BJP’s “one nation, one election” proposal, calling it an attempt to undermine federalism and regional parties.
Questions on RSS/BJP’s Nationalist Credentials
In a particularly pointed segment of his address, Kharge raised serious questions about the historical credentials of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP. He claimed that many leaders of the RSS and BJP have never truly accepted the country’s Constitution, the tricolor flag, the Ashoka Chakra, and Vande Mataram. “These people had no connection with the freedom movement and have always opposed laws made for the progress of society,” Kharge stated, referencing historical records that show RSS leaders stayed away from the Quit India Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement. He accused the current government of working to snatch and crush the democratic rights of the people, while the Congress fights against this with full strength. Kharge specifically mentioned how the BJP government has weakened strong institutions that the Congress had built over decades, including the Election Commission, the judiciary, and investigative agencies. He cited the misuse of the ED, CBI, and Income Tax department against opposition leaders as evidence of institutional capture.
UPA’s Legacy of Empowerment Laws
Recalling the golden tenure of the UPA government, Kharge highlighted the historic legislations enacted when Sonia Gandhi was party president and Dr. Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister. He listed the Right to Information Act, which revolutionized transparency, the Right to Education Act that made education a fundamental right, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act that provided livelihood security to millions, the Food Security Act that ensured subsidized grains for the poor, the Forest Rights Act that empowered tribal communities, and the Land Acquisition Act that protected farmers’ interests. Kharge contrasted these empowerment laws with what he called the BJP’s “divisive agenda,” pointing out that many of these Acts have been diluted or poorly implemented under the current regime. He reminded the audience that the MNREGA, which the BJP once criticized as a “living monument of Congress failure,” had to be expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic when it became a lifeline for migrant workers.
Historical Legacy and Future Resolve
On this occasion, the Congress party posted a message on the social media platform X, congratulating its workers and stating that those in power are promoting injustice and oppression, but “we will continue to fight.” It is noteworthy that the Congress party was founded on December 28, 1885, at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Mumbai, with 72 representatives from across British India. A.O. Hume was its founding general secretary, and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee became the first president. Even today, 140 years later, the party is fighting to uphold that same legacy of inclusive nationalism and constitutional values. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and several senior party leaders participated in the flag hoisting ceremony, symbolizing the continuity of leadership across generations. The event concluded with a pledge to strengthen the party organization at the grassroots level and prepare for upcoming state elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi, where the Congress aims to regain lost ground.
