‘Sangathan Srijan’ training camp: At Kurukshetra, Rahul urges Cong leaders to display ‘spirit of true warriors’

On his arrival, the senior Congress leader received an enthusiastic welcome from party office-bearers and workers. Addressing nearly 60 district presidents, he reminded them of the responsibility entrusted to them at the district level and stressed that the strength of the Congress lies in its grassroots organisation.

Calling them “Congress warriors”, he urged them to reach out to people village by village and reconnect citizens with the party’s ideology. Drawing a sharp political contrast, he said that “just as the Mughals and the British eventually left the country, the BJP too would one day be defeated”.

He emphasised that “district presidents must not function under pressure or fear” and assured them that the Congress organisation stands firmly behind them and that their work and performance would be reviewed periodically with guidance and support from the leadership. He said that “no one can suppress the voice of party workers when the organisation is united and disciplined”.

A key focus of Gandhi’s interaction was “party discipline”. In separate meetings with Haryana state in-charge B K Hariprasad, Leader of the Congress Legislature Party Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and Haryana Pradesh Congress president Rao Narender Singh, he called for “strict enforcement of discipline and firm action against leaders indulging in anti-party activities or irresponsible statements”. Several district presidents raised concerns about senior leaders making remarks that damage the party and leaking information to the media, which, they said, often gives the BJP unnecessary political advantage. Gandhi agreed that such behaviour weakens the organisation and instructed the state leadership to deal with indiscipline decisively.

Looking ahead to the 2027 Assembly elections in five states, the Congress leader underlined the need for district leaders to go beyond their immediate areas. He said party workers would have to work not only in their own constituencies but also support neighbouring regions and even other states when assigned duties. Electoral success, he stressed, depends on sustained public engagement, not just during election season but throughout the political cycle.

In a lighter yet symbolic moment, Gandhi spent nearly half an hour demonstrating martial arts techniques to the district presidents, dressed in full attire. Addressing the issue of public mockery, the Congress MP remarked that people often make fun of him by giving him strange nicknames, but he does not care. What matters, he said, is commitment to ideology, organisation and the people of the country.

The day’s schedule reflected Gandhi’s personal style of politics. After landing at the Ambala Air Force Station in the morning, he reached Kurukshetra around 11:19 am. He first met the families of the district presidents, posed for photographs, shared a meal with them, and later conducted an intensive training session that lasted nearly three hours. Many participants described the interaction as warm, informal and motivating, comparing it to guidance from an elder family member rather than a distant leader.

Apart from Hariprasad, Hooda and Rao Narendar Singh, Congress’s Haryana co-incharges Jitendra Baghel and Prafulla Gudhde, Uttarakhand PCC president Ganesh Godiyal, MP Kumari Selja, and several other office-bearers were also present during the event.

The training camp, which began on January 13 and will continue until January 22, aims to strengthen the Congress organisation at the district level and equip newly appointed district presidents with political and organisational skills.