Congress Holds Conclave to Mark Jawaharlal Nehru's 125th Birth Anniversary: Highlights of Sonia, Rahul Gandhi's Address

New Delhi: The Congress today launched a conclave at the Talkatora stadium in Delhi to mark the 125th birth anniversary of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed the conclave. Here are the highlights of his address:

• I visited the Naini Jail near Allahabad where Jawaharlal Nehru was imprisoned for many years
• Democracy, if it means anything, means equality; not equality of possessing vote, but economic and social equality
• Congress is an organisation that stands of a feeling of love and brotherhood
• Jawaharlal Nehru wrote in the visitors' books of Naini jail where he was lodged
  
• In that, there was no anger - he thanked the British for putting him in jail and making him realise his love for the motherland
• India is the only country where freedom struggle was based on love
• We faced lathis but we did not react in anger
• This country is like the house we live in... on one hand people are cleaning up the house and on the other hand, they're spreading the poison of hatred - weakening the basis of our country
• When you weaken the foundation, the enemies of this country benefit
  
• Look at their tall promises - nothing has happened. Of course it is photo-op, they're sweeping the streets 
• The Congress party has made mistakes but our intentions are pure.
• We may have suffered setbacks, but there is no compromise on ideologies

Sonia Gandhi is now addressing the conclave:

• Jawaharlal Nehru was first among freedom fighters, the architect of India
• India was free to have legendary leadership of Nehru
• Nehruji's legacy belongs to the entire country
• Nehru and his leadership gave us tremendous boost in development and technology
• Without Nehru ji, we would not have been able to send Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan
• Today attempts are being made to get rid of Nehru's ideology, legacy and vision
• Nehruji fulfilled the responsibility of building a new India with enthusiasm and dedication
• There is an attempt to destroy values, thought process on the basis of which Nehruji had built this nation
• Those who are targeting Nehruji today, they are not targeting any person, they are targeting an ideology
• Nehru was one of the people who helped India win Independence
• He strove to build this country with exemplary zeal - in every field from agriculture to education
  
• Nehru laid the foundations for institutions of science and technology
• We learnt from our legendary leaders how to overcome challenges
• We are a 129-year-old party, we will continue to exist despite difficulties, because we take inspiration from our forefathers
• We must remember our party's history
• We have faced many challenges and learned from them
  
• We have to remain committed to our ideals and traditions
• We should be proud of Congress' role of nation building
  
• Nehruji's politics was such that it was inclusive of different viewpoints and ideologies
  
• Nehruji's thoughts continue to be an inspiration for our party
• Congress will fight against the people who are destroying the country  built by Nehru's ideals
• If Nehruji were here, he would have told us to unite and connect with the people