Vicious personal attacks made Rahul strong man, says Sonia
HANDING OVER Former party chief says fundamentals of Constitution are under attack; former PM calls for ‘politics of hope’
NEW DELHI: Outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in her farewell speech, asked party leaders and workers to introspect and be ready to offer any sacrifice to protect the country’s democratic values.
71-year-old Sonia Gandhi stepped down as the Congress president on Saturday after remaining at the helm for more than 19 years since 1998.
“Congress must look within to forge ahead. If we do not stand by our principles, we will not be able to defend the rights of the common people. It is a battle of righteousness, and to win this fight we must correct ourselves and be ready to offer any sacrifice,” she said in her nearly 15-minute speech in Hindi.
Handing over the reins of the 132-year-old party to Rahul, she kept up her attack on the BJP government. “Never before have we faced the challenge that we face today. The fundamentals of our Constitution are under attack,” Sonia said. “Our party has lost several state elections. But an exemplary energy fires our Congress workers. We are not ones to bend in fear because our struggle is a fight for the very soul of this nation. We will never retreat from this fight.”
Congratulating Rahul on his elevation, Sonia said she was proud of his endurance and firmness and expressed confidence that he will lead the party with a “pure heart”, patience and devotion. “From his very childhood, he has borne the experience of violence, the savage personal attacks he has confronted since entering politics has served to make him a brave and stouthearted man.”
Sonia’s speech was marked by nostalgia as she recalled her association with her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and also talked about the time when she was reluctant to join politics following the assassination of her husband Rajiv Gandhi.
For his part, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hoped that new Congress president Rahul Gandhi will sustain the “politics of hope” which is needed by the country and not allow the “politics of fear” to take over. He also claimed that “certain disturbing trends are noticeable” in the country’s polity and the people depend on Rahul to transform it.
“As a distinguished academician pointed out a few days ago, there are dangers that the ‘politics of fear’ will take over from the politics of hope,” he said in an apparent reference to the BJP.
“Rahul ji, we depend upon you to transform that area that fear of politics will transform, to sustain the politics of hope, which this country needs,” he said in his brief address.
Singh praised Sonia for the “powerful and magnificent” leadership provided by her to the Congress party that will go down in the annals of its history. “May your path be blessed,” Singh concluded his speech wishing good luck to Rahul.