This Article is From Nov 13, 2014

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

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

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at party's conclave

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

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