Sonia talks of end of innings, Congress says means as party chief

Looking back at her tenure as Congress president, she said: “I had the honour of taking office as president for the first time in 1998. Over these 25 years, our party has seen times of high achievement as well as deep disappointment.”

“The support, goodwill and  understanding of each one of you and all the Congress party workers throughout the country have given us strength. Our victories in 2004 and 2009 along with the able leadership of Dr Manmohan Singhji gave me personal satisfaction, but what  gratifies me most is that my innings could conclude with the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” she said.

At a press conference later, Congress’s communications head Jairam Ramesh parried questions on whether Sonia’s remarks meant she was retiring from politics. But, senior Congress leader and AICC general secretary Kumari Selja said Sonia did not mean to say she was retiring from politics and spoke in the context of her tenure at the helm of the party.

Sonia was the party president when the yatra started from Tamil Nadu on September 7. Elections for the post of Congress president were held in October and Mallikarjun Kharge formally took charge on October 25.

The yatra, Sonia said, had come as a turning point. “It has proved that the people of India overwhelmingly want harmony, tolerance and equality. It has renewed the rich legacy of dialogue between our party and the people through mass contact programmes. It has shown us all that the Congress stands with the people and is ready to fight for them,” she said.

She said the determination and leadership of Rahul Gandhi were crucial to the yatra’s success. “This is particularly a challenging time for the Congress and the country as a whole. Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and the BJP-RSS regime have relentlessly captured and subverted every single institution. It ruthlessly silences any voice of Opposition. It has caused economic ruin by favouring a few chosen businessmen at the expense of all others and of the people, of ordinary people,” she said.

“And most distressingly, it fuels the fires of fear and hatred against fellow Indians. It viciously targeted minorities and ignored crimes and discrimination against them, against women, against Dalits and against Adivasis. It mocked Gandhiji and through its words and actions shows its contempt for the values of our Constitution,” she said.

“In many ways, the situation today reminds me of the time when I first entered politics. Then, as now, we face a difficult struggle ahead. And at this crucial time, each one of us bears a special responsibility towards our party and our country… The path ahead is not easy but my experience as well as the rich history of the Congress tells me that victory will be ours. To achieve it under Khargeji’s leadership, we must tackle the regime with boldness and vigour and stand side by side with the people it attacks. We must reach out to people and convey our message with clarity and cohesion … Above all, we must be ready to put aside our personal expectations, make sacrifices and work with unity and a sense of common purpose.”

She asked the party to remember “the battles our party has won in the past and prepare ourselves for the battle to come.”

Meanwhile, saying that the country was passing through “tough times”, Kharge, in his speech, coined a new slogan for the party — “Seva, Sangharsh, Balidan; Sabse Pehle Hindustan (Service, Struggle, Sacrifice; India before everything else)”.

Kharge said the DNA of those in Delhi was “anti-poor” as they were attempting to destroy democracy, and called for a people’s movement.

Taking a swipe at the Prime Minister, Kharge said Modi calls himself “pradhan sevak” but is serving the interests of his “friend”. “This friend has seen his wealth rise by 13 times. The Prime Minister is serving his friend,” he said.

Alleging a “conspiracy to destroy democracy” in India, he said the Congress was working to unite everyone.