Kharge Slams BJP Over Communal Divide and Monopoly at AICC Session in Ahmedabad
Published on April 8, 2025
AHMEDABAD | April 8, 2025:
In a fiery address at the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Ahmedabad, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a blistering attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of pushing the country into a dangerous phase of communal polarization and economic monopoly.
Opening the session held at Sardar Patel Memorial, Kharge minced no words in ridiculing the BJP’s attempts to hijack the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. “They may steal Gandhi’s stick and specs, but they can never follow his ideals,” he remarked, drawing a sharp contrast between Congress’s ideological roots and the RSS-backed BJP’s narratives.
Kharge reminded the gathering that 2024 marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi’s election as Congress President during the Belgaum Session, and also the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, adding symbolic weight to the party’s event in Gujarat — the land of Dadabhai Naoroji, Gandhi, and Patel, all former Congress Presidents.
Defending Legacy Amidst BJP’s ‘Distortions’
Kharge exposed what he called the BJP’s falsification of history, particularly its portrayal of the Nehru-Patel relationship. “They’re inventing lies about our founding fathers because they contributed nothing to the freedom struggle,” he said, asserting that Nehru and Patel were like two sides of the same coin.
He cited Patel’s major role in leading the Bardoli Satyagraha, his chairmanship of the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights in the Constituent Assembly, and his pivotal role, along with Gandhi, in nominating Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to head the Drafting Committee of the Constitution.
RSS Opposed the Constitution, Burned Effigies: Kharge
Kharge also highlighted that the RSS had opposed the Constitution when it was first drafted, even burning effigies of the framers, angry that the Constitution did not draw inspiration from the Manusmriti. He reminded the audience that Sardar Patel had banned the RSS after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, underscoring the ideological rift between Congress icons and the Sangh Parivar.
“Sardar Patel lives in the hearts of every Congressman,” Kharge declared. “We’re holding this meeting here at his memorial for that very reason.”
He warned against BJP and RSS’s ongoing attempts to appropriate Gandhian institutions, gradually handing them over to individuals and organizations that oppose Gandhi’s values.
Congress’s Strength Lies in Ideology, Unity
Kharge emphasized that the Congress draws its power not from individuals, but from its commitment to national unity, secularism, and social justice. He urged party members to further strengthen the organization ahead of crucial elections.
Leaders Present & CWC Resolution
Congress leaders KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, and Pawan Khera briefed the media, outlining the resolutions passed at the historic session. The meeting saw participation from Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, senior CWC members, PCC presidents, CLP leaders, chief ministers, and deputy chief ministers.
Venugopal called the session historic, noting the Congress’s deep-rooted legacy in Gujarat, where the freedom struggle was seeded. This was the sixth AICC session in Gujarat, the first held as far back as 1902.
“Our resolution affirms that we will walk the path of Sardar Patel—the man who stood firm against British oppression, communalism, and fought for an India based on equality, justice, and freedom,” Venugopal said.
Jairam Ramesh also took aim at BJP’s persistent attempts to rewrite the narrative around Nehru and Patel, calling them politically motivated and historically incorrect.
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