Collective spirit reflects true spirit of Congress ethos: Rahul Gandhi

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 2

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At a time when various state units of the Congress are bearing the brunt of factionalism, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday sent out a message of unity to the cadres saying collective leadership was the true ethos of the party.

“Collective spirit reflects the true ethos of the Congress party,” Gandhi said at the virtual launch of the Kannur district Congress committee office in Kerala.

Even in Kerala where the older guard led by former Chief Minister Oomen Chandy and veteran Ramesh Chennithala have been voicing concerns over the recent state organisation appointments, Gandhi called for unity.

“Over the years, Congress in Kerala has set a stellar example of collective leadership. This collective spirit reflects the true ethos of the Congress party,” he said at a time when bitter feuds are underway in Punjab between Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state president Navjot Sidhu; in Rajasthan between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot and in Chhattisgarh between Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and health minister TS Singhdeo.

Gandhi drew the party’s attention to “economic mismanagement and fire sale of Indian assets” by the BJP saying this needed to be fought at all levels.

The former Congress chief also took aim at the Left Democratic Front government saying “in Kerala we have to fight another divisive ideology (apart from the BJP)”.

“Today, our nation is at a critical crossroad. As the principal opposition party, the Congress party has a moral duty to fight these forces that threaten the very idea of India. Modi govt has clearly mishandled the economy. And, what this country has built over the last 70 years, is being given away to select few friends of the PM. Congress party must oppose this fire sale of our crown jewels at every level,” Gandhi said attacking the National Monetisation Pipeline.

He said the Congress is not against privatisation but our privatisation plan and it never privatised strategic industries like Railways.

Gandhi also said the government has come up with a new concept of GDP, wherein a rise in GDP means a rise in prices of Gas, Diesel and Petrol.

“While international prices for crude and gas have gone down since 2014, there has been huge increase in prices in GDP in last 7 years. Rs 23 lakh crore has been earned by increasing prices of GDP in the last seven years. Where has this money gone?” he asked.

Gandhi accused the government of demonetising farmers, labourers, small traders and informal sector, MSMEs, contract workers, and salaried class and monetising “four-five friends of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.