Intentional Plot to Misrepresent National Heroes' Contributions: Kharge

Ahmedabad, April 8 (NationPress) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday asserted that a premeditated conspiracy is in motion aimed at misrepresenting the contributions of national heroes.

While inaugurating the Extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Ahmedabad, Kharge remarked: "A false narrative is being constructed to create a rift between Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, as if they were rivals."

He emphasized that both leaders represent two sides of the same coin, recalling Patel's speech from March 7, 1937, at Gujarat Vidyapith, during Nehru's presidency. Patel had expressed, "The day Gujarat triumphs in this electoral contest and demonstrates its allegiance to Congress, we shall celebrate the arrival of Congress President Nehru with great pride." This illustrates Patel's profound belief in Nehru's leadership, Kharge highlighted.

He strongly condemned the current political climate, sounding the alarm against growing communal divisions and corporate dominance over national assets.

"While one faction attempts to distract the public from critical issues by fostering communal animosity, another is monopolizing the country's resources, posing a threat to governance," he stated.

Kharge acknowledged Patel's pivotal leadership during the 1931 Karachi session, which played a defining role in shaping the essence of the nation's Constitution through the resolution on Fundamental Rights.

"For years, there have been attempts to tarnish the image of Congress - a party with a legacy of 140 years in nation-building and sacrifice - by those who have little to highlight in terms of their own accomplishments or contributions to the freedom struggle," he remarked.

Recalling the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Dadabhai Naoroji - three legendary leaders from Gujarat who shaped the Congress and the political and moral foundations of India, Kharge noted that they not only led the Congress but also illuminated its trajectory.

"Gandhiji imparted to us the enduring tools of truth and non-violence to combat injustice, instruments no power can resist," Kharge articulated.

In December 1924, Gandhi presided over the Congress Session in Belgaum, Karnataka - my home state. We commemorated this centenary with the utmost respect on December 26 of the previous year.

With the national convention returning to Gujarat after 64 years - the last held in Bhavnagar in 1961 - Kharge remarked that it was only appropriate for the party to reflect on its ideological origins and historical role in shaping contemporary India.

Reminding attendees of Gujarat's esteemed legacy of grassroots struggles, he stated: "Just as the Champaran Satyagraha led by Gandhiji fortified the Congress in rural India, the Bardoli Satyagraha and farmers' movements led by Sardar Patel are forever etched in our history."

Kharge drew attention to the approaching 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31, describing him as the architect of India's unity, echoing Pandit Nehru’s sentiments regarding Patel’s unifying influence.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were also present at the event.

With over 3,000 delegates present, including chief ministers from Congress-governed states, state unit presidents, and senior leaders, the two-day conclave aims to outline the party's strategy for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.