Indian National Congress on its 137th foundation day today invoked legacy of its tall leaders in its bid to galvanise its “fragmented cadres” on national level. In Himachal, Congress leaders termed Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur government’s “four years Mandi rally as a failure”, saying that Prime Minister Narender Modi gave nothing new for Himachal which is reeling under debt crisis of over Rs 62,000 crore”.
In other parts of the country, Congress workers staged Tiranga yatras and protests against the rising prices and unemployment and its students outfit hold conventions to mark the foundation day.
Confronting the “double engine” BJP government led by Prime Minister Narender Modi, Congress launched a campaign on social media, invoking legacy of its stalwarts, Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Sarojini Naidu, Indira Gandhi, Narsimha Rao and Rajeev Gandhi in a bid to activate its “inactive and fragmented cadre” across the country.
In a direct attack against the Modi government, AICC President Sonia Gandhi while hoisting the Congress flag at AICC headquatrs in Delhi to mark INC 137th Foundation Day, she said: “We rededicate ourselves toward party’s values, principles and ideals which put our people and our nation first, always. The principles of organization that has been shaped guided and inspired by some of the greatest noblest selfless of Indians of the 20th century”.
She said, “The electoral ups and downs are inevitable, but what is enduring and lasting is our commitment to the service of all people, our diverse society”. “The finest tradition of parliamentary democracy are being deliberately damaged and Congress will fight these destructive forces with all might at its command”.
Congress brought its collage of schemes and laws and Acts passed in Parliament from time to time and put them in focus on “social media to strike a chord with the netizens to confront the rising tide of Modi’s new India”.
AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi said, “We are the Congress party, which laid the foundation of democracy and we are proud of this legacy”, congratulating the congress cadres across the country on the 137th Congress foundation day.
Pointing out a report on “attack on Christianity” published in a popular US English newspaper, Rahul Gandhi tweeted saying, “While many in our country are living with their hands buried in sand, the world is watching. In times of injustice, silence is complicity”.
In Himachal Pradesh senior Congress leader Kaul Singh Thakur in a press conference in Mandi accused Prime Minister Narender Modi and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur of taking credits for Atal Tunnel, four medical colleges, which were brought and started during the Congress rule. Foundation stone of Rohtang tunnel was laid by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in 2010 and the foundation plaque was removed from there, he alleged.
Thakur alleged that Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur did not demand any funds and relief for Himachal as he was afraid of demanding new projects from Prime Minister. “Prime minister mentioned schemes and laid foundation stone of projects which were started during the Congress regime”, he claimed.
Kaul Singh charged that the unemployment in Himachal has increased, the prices have shot up, and the BJP government has pushed Himachal into a debt trap as the BJP government has failed to mobilise its own resources.
“During the Congress time the state debt was Rs 40,000 crore, which has now increased to Rs 62,000 crore and Chief Minister is seeking more loans of Rs 1000 crore”, Kaul Singh Thakur claimed.
He said the BHP leader Kushal Singh Thakur protested during the Congress regime demanding Factor 2 compensation for the farmers for the acquired land, but his government is in power and he is silent. The government should pay Factor 2 for the compensation and the Green Field airport should be made at the barren land at Ghogradhar, not in fertile Balh valley", he demanded.
(Kuldeep Chauhan is Editor, HimbuMali)
