New Delhi: The road ahead for the Congress is challenging more than ever before and unity at all levels in the party was paramount, the party's senior leader Sonia Gandhi observed on Tuesday as she slammed the ruling BJP over its divisive agenda and disregard for democracy.
"The road ahead is more challenging than ever before. Our dedication and determination, our spirit of resilience is under severe test. Unity at all levels of our vast organisation is of paramount importance. Our revival is not just a matter of importance to us alone—it is, in fact, essential for our democracy itself and indeed for our society as well," Sonia said.
Her remarks came during a strategy meeting of the party’s Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members as the Budget Session of Parliament is scheduled to end on April 8. The recent poll defeats in five states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur were “both shocking and painful”, she said.
The Congress chief said a 'chintan shivir' was needed to prepare a road map for the future. Infighting in the five states had been identified as one of the key reasons behind the results and continues to impact the party elsewhere. The Lok Sabha poll losses of 2014 and 2019 have further added to the problem.
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"Holding a Chintan Shivir is very necessary. That is where the views of a larger number of colleagues and party representatives will be heard. They will contribute to putting forward a clear roadmap on the urgent steps to be taken by our party on how best to meet the challenges we are confronted with," she said.
The Congress chief slammed the alleged divisive and polarizing agenda of the BJP and its leaders saying “it had now become a regular feature of the political discourse in state after state.” "History—not just ancient but also contemporary-- is mischievously distorted and facts are maliciously invented to add fuel to this agenda," she added.
"It is for us all to stand up and confront these forces of hate and prejudice. We will not allow them to damage the bonds of amity and harmony that have sustained and enriched our diverse society for centuries," Sonia urged the Congress lawmakers.
Noting the ruling establishment continued to target the opposition, its leaders and workers and unleashed the full might of the state machinery against them, Sonia said maximum governance to those in power clearly meant spreading maximum fear and intimidation.
"Such blatant threats and tactics will not frighten or silence us nor will we get cowed down," she said. Lauding the MPs for raising public issues in Parliament, the Congress chief said the government's attitude had not changed.
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"The MSMEs are still in a most precarious condition. There is no sign whatsoever that the commitments made to the farmers are going to be fulfilled in any significant manner. Prices of cooking gas and oil, petrol, diesel, fertilizers and other essential commodities have risen to an unbearable limit –- and continue to rise," she said, urging party leaders to sustain a recent campaign against price rise.
She noted that two welfare acts passed by the previous UPA, the food security act and the rural jobs act, had helped the poor and the needy during the two stressful years of the pandemic. “Even though the minister concerned has denied it, inordinately delayed wage payments, however, continues to be a serious issue in MGNREGS,” she said.
Sonia charged that the government did not agree to a debate on the border situation, price rise, dilution of labour laws and urged them to assure the thousands of students evacuated from war-torn Ukraine and resolve the high cost of medical education in the country.
“Public sector enterprises, the one important avenue for employment of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, are being sold off under the fancy name “asset monetization”. This will be another disaster as de-monetization turns out to be,” she added.
