Congress gets new address — 9A, Kotla Road

New Delhi, January 15

The Congress’ new headquarters located at 9A, Kotla Road, here was inaugurated on Wednesday, as the grand old party turned a page in its history after operating from its iconic 24, Akbar Road, premises for the last 47 years.

Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the plush five-storeyed building in the presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal, among other senior leaders.

Indira Gandhi Bhawan, constructed by L&T and designed by Hafeez Contractor, narrates the tale of the party’s 139-year-old history with its walls adorning pictures from the freedom struggle to the party’s governance achievements.

The five principles of the Congress — democracy, nationalism, secularism, inclusive growth and justice — are inscribed on one of the walls of the building.

As one enters the building, the wall in front adorns the pictures of the party’s first president WC Benerjee and current chief Kharge.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP said the Congress should name its new headquarters — 9 A, Kotla Road — after late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a mark of tribute to him.

BJP social media chief Amit Malviya, referring to posters that appeared on the walls of AICC office ahead of its inauguration today, said: “Posters outside the new Congress headquarters call for it to be named Sardar Manmohan Singh Bhavan as a tribute to the former Prime Minister.”

Kharge disagrees with L&T head’s 90-hr work advice

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who easily clocks more than 15 hours of work daily during election time, on Wednesday disagreed with L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s suggestion of a 90-hour workweek and recalled Jawaharlal Nehru and BR Ambedkar’s view that workers should not be made to work more than eight hours a day. Kharge made the remark after the inauguration of the party’s new headquarters, construction of which was undertaken by L&T. He thanked the company for building the new party building. TNS/PTI