Ahmedabad, April 9 -- Congress leader In a compelling address during the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Ahmedabad, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge sent a clear message to party leaders, stating that those who do not actively engage in the party work should "take rest". At the same time, he said that those who fail to meet their responsibilities "must retire".
"We called three meetings of district presidents from across the country. Rahul Ji and I spoke to them and got their feedback. From now on, we will involve them in the candidate selection process for elections," Kharge announced, emphasising the importance of accountability within the party.
Kharge framed the Congress's current effort as a renewed struggle for India's independence against injustice, inequality, poverty and communalism. "Earlier, foreign rulers promoted these ills; today, our government is doing so," he said. "But we will win this battle too," the Congress president added, exuding confidence in the party's mission.
"The only difference is that foreign rulers promoted earlier injustice, inequality and poverty, but now our government is doing that," Kharge remarked.
Turning to the country's "troubled" economic circumstances, the Congress president noted that over 1.5 million "affluent Indians have relocated abroad in search of increasingly scarce opportunities at home".
He emphasised that the government's "silence" regarding significant matters, such as the US imposition of a 26 percent tariff on Indian imports, indicates a "neglect" of necessary parliamentary discussions.
Additionally, he raised alarms about the privatisation of public sector undertakings. He asserted: "By selling PSUs, the government has denied lakhs of permanent jobs," stressing the urgent need to safeguard reservation benefits for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
At the same event, Congress leader Sachin Pilot echoed similar sentiments, stating that the party's goal is to unite the country, while the BJP "aims to divide it". He insisted that the time has come to deliver a fitting response to the opposition that seizes power in the name of religion, caste, language, and other divisive tactics.
Meanwhile, NSUI Incharge Kanhaiya Kumar, expressing his views on the 55th Foundation Day of the National Students' Union of India, said: "Earlier, the responsibility of a government was to run the country, but now it is to take care of the country."
He further said that India became free because of the struggle, jail time, and lathi charges faced by the freedom fighters.
He also spoke about the country's current political scenario. "We have opportunities to be MLAs and MPs, but the real opportunity is to be Dr Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh and Mahatma Gandhi in these hard times," he said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.