New Congress president Rahul Gandhi asks cadres to stand up to BJP, says hatred cannot defeat his party

December 16, 2017 4:14 pm

In his first speech as Congress President, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday mounted a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. “Congress took India to the 21st century, but the PM, today, is taking us back to the medieval times when people are butchered because of who they are, beaten for what they believe and killed for what they eat,” he said while addressing those who had gathered at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi to witness Rahul’s anointment. Scores of Rahul Gandhi supporters were also present outside the headquarters celebrating by dancing, raising slogans, bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets.

Rahul Gandhi took charge as the party chief in the presence of the 132-year-old party’s top brass and his family. Congress Central Election Authority (CEA) President Mullapally Ramachandran handed him the Certificate of Election in presence of his mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra and former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh among others. See glimpses from his swearing-in ceremony.

“It is with the deepest humility, that I accept this position knowing that I will always be walking in the shadow of giants,” the new Congress President said at the ceremony at 24, Akbar Road. “We consider the BJP as our brothers and sisters, but we do not agree with them. They (BJP) crush voices but we allow them to speak,” he said adding that if there is anyone who can stop the BJP from what it is doing, it is the Congress which has love and affection for the people. “Woh todte hain, hum jodte hain. Woh aag lagate hain, hum bujhaate hain. Yeh fark hai unmein aur ham mein (They break the country but we unite it. They burn the country, we douse the flames. This is the difference between them and us),” Rahul Gandhi said.

The transition in the top leadership bears an uncanny resemblance to the time when Sonia took over and the party clocked its worst performance since Independence in the 1999 elections, winning 114 seats. The Congress bounced back in 2004 and retained power in 2009 — it also won a string of Assembly elections from 2004 to 2014. Rahul, 47, had entered electoral politics in 2004. He was appointed as the party general secretary in 2007 and was elevated as its vice-president in January 2013.

“We are going to make Congress, Grand old and young party. We will fight the politics of anger with love,” he said while inviting youth to join the fight against politics of violence. “People are being killed for they eat or believe. You have an example in front of you. Once a fire breaks out it is difficult to douse it, that is what we are telling the people of BJP, that if you set the nation on fire it will be difficult to control,” Rahul said while criticising BJP for spreading “the fire of violence across the country.”
“Many of us are disillusioned by politics of our time. Today, politics is devoid of kindness and truth. Politics belongs to the people, but today politics is not being used for people. It is not being used to uplift people, but to crush them,” Rahul said.

Outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi too criticised the BJP government for the current state of the country. “Since 2014 we have been playing the role of opposition. The challenge that we face today is the biggest one. Our constitutional values are being attacked, our party has also lost many elections but our party will never bow down,” she said.

In a rare show of emotion, Sonia said her son had become a stronger man owing to his background. “Rahul is my son so I do not think for me to praise him is right. But I would say that since childhood he had to bear the brunt of the violence. After joining politics he had to face blatant personal attacks, that has made him a stronger person,” the 71-year-old leader said. After being the Congress chief for 19 years, Sonia became the longest-serving president of the Grand Old Party. “Indira ji passed away, after which Rajiv ji also passed away. My support was taken away from me and it took me a long while to come to terms with it,” she said.

Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh said he hopes Congress will reach new heights under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi who was taking responsibility amid “disturbing trends.” “There are dangers that the politics of fear will take over the politics of hope. We depend upon you to transform the fear of politics and hate to hope,” he added. Singh added that the new Congress President had been trained for a long period and had already looked after many activities of the Congress for many years now.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the party was making a new resolve for the country. “Today we are taking a pledge for a new movement in India. Free from fear, for freedom of expression, for eliminating discriminations, for promoting brotherhood and saving democracy.”

Though Sonia has said she plans to retire, senior leaders of Congress clarified she has retired as president of the Congress and not from public life. Former union minister Veerappa Moily said Sonia shouldn’t forget that she is also “mother to the entire cadre of the party” and should continue to play a “mother’s role”.

Various political leaders congratulated Rahul Gandhi on taking charge as Congress president. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to convey his best wishes to Rahul. “Congratulations Rahul ji for this big responsibility and our best wishes for all ur endeavours,” Kejriwal tweeted. DMK leader M K Stalin and filmstar Kamal Haasan too greeted Rahul for formally taking over as the Congress president.

Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/rahul-gandhi-congress-president-bjp-sonia-gandhi-manmohan-singh-aicc-4985159/