In the tussle over iconic leaders feted by the BJP, the Congress has begun the celebrations a day early
After a series of poll debacles that have given it little to celebrate, the Congress today rallied its cadre for the 125th birth anniversary of its icon Jawaharlal Nehru and administered a pledge to fight against the ideology of hate. "We are a 129-year-old party; we will continue to exist despite difficulties," party chief Sonia Gandhi told workers.
In a pointed barb at the ruling BJP, which defeated the Congress to take power after the May national election, Mrs Gandhi said, "Today there are attempts to get rid of Nehru's ideology, legacy and vision. If Nehru was here, he would have said stay together, strengthen the organization. Go among the people and talk to them."
She ended by asking her audience, "Are you with me?" Affirmation came in a loud cheer inside a packed hall at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium.
Former governor Sheila Dikshit administered the pledge that asked party workers to work for secularism and "protect the country from the ideology of hate". Sonia Gandhi, her son and deputy Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh all took the pledge, along with thousands of Congress workers.
Congress leaders say ahead of the Delhi election early this year, today's event is a chance to energise workers demoralized by the defeat in the national election and state polls.
The party insists it is not a "copycat pledge" after Prime Minister Narendra Modi administered a similar pledge when he launched the "Swachh Bharat" or Clean India campaign on October 2 Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary.
The prime minister has not been invited to a two-day Nehru conference from November 17, to which the Congress has invited 55 political parties barring the BJP and its allies. Written invitations have been sent to politicians like Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar, J Jayalalithaa, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Left leaders.
PM Modi is away on a 10-day tour of Myanmar, Australia and Fiji. His party has accused the Congress of being petty.
"The Congress is diminishing the status of Nehru. He was the nation's leader, not one party's," said BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain.