Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, April 5: Sonia Gandhi, the Congress’s president, called for unity at all levels of the organisation on Tuesday, saying that the party’s revival is important not only for them but also for democracy and society, even as she chastised the government for “spreading maximum fear and intimidation” against the opposition.
“The road ahead is more challenging than ever before. Our dedication and determination, our spirit of resilience [are] under severe test. Unity at all levels of our vast organisation is of paramount importance,” she said in her address to the Congress Parliamentary Party.
The remarks came just weeks before the party’s chintan shivir (brainstorming camp), which would be held in the aftermath of Congress’ defeat in five states in February and March. In Punjab, the Congress lost power, and it performed poorly in four other states. The election results were shocking and distressing, Gandhi said.
Congress insiders said Gandhi’s pitch was for unity at the level of states to improve the party’s chance of winning upcoming elections and also accommodating the “G23” group of dissenters at the national level. Infighting has been blamed for several of Congress’s polling failures.
“The value of non-alignment as a foundational principle of the nation’s foreign policy that was criticized so much has now, I am glad to note, been rediscovered even though it may not be acknowledged as such,” she further added.
The ruling establishment, Gandhi claimed, was continuing to target the Opposition, its leaders, and workers. “The full force of the state apparatus has been unleashed against them.” To those in positions of authority, maximum governance clearly entails spreading the greatest amount of fear and intimidation. Such blatant threats and tactics will not intimidate or quiet us, and we will not be intimidated,” she declared.
