Udaipur: Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi Friday set the tone for the three-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ in Udaipur saying that changes in the organisation were the “need of the hour” and underlined the need for change in the “way of working”, indicating long due organisational changes in the grand-old party following a string of election defeats in recent assembly elections.
“Changes in organisation are the need of the hour, we need to change the way of our working. We have to keep organisation above personal ambitions,” said Gandhi, reiterating her words from the party’s Working Committee (CWC) meeting Monday.
She also said that the “party has given us a lot and it is time to pay back”.
With clamour for organisational changes increasing within the Congress in recent times, Gandhi said that there is a need to improve the party’s organisation and accepted that it needs to look within.
“There is a need for a change in strategy and in how we work every day. Our resurgence can only happen through massive collective effort and that effort cannot be delayed and will not be delayed”, she said.
Urging delegates to speak freely at the gathering in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, Gandhi said it’s “both ‘chintan’ (brainstorming) about national issues and a meaningful ‘atma chintan’ (introspection) about our party’s organisation”.
“But one message of strong party and unity should go out to the country,” she added.
Gandhi also sent a message to those not invited to the ‘Chintan Shivir’.
“I’m well aware that many of our colleagues wanted to be here with us but we had to limit participation for a variety of reasons. Not being here doesn’t devalue the role they’re playing in our organisation,” she added.
‘Keeping country in permanent state of polarisation’
Addressing a gathering of over 450 party delegates, Gandhi also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government, saying that they are glorifying the killers of Mahatma Gandhi.
The Congress president said that it was “painfully clear” what the Modi government meant by “maximum governance and minimum government”.
“It means keeping the country in a permanent state of polarisation, compelling people to live in a constant state of fear and insecurity. Viciously targetting, victimising and often brutalising minorities who are an integral part of our society and equal part of our republic,” she said.
“We have to combat this growing violence and divisiveness that is being maliciously and mischievously spread. This we must do at all costs,” said Gandhi, referring to the BJP government at the Centre.
Also read: Congress begins ‘Chintan Shivir’ today with one goal: Not to let India become ‘Congress mukt’