New Delhi: The Indian National Congress on Sunday marked its 140th Foundation Day with a flag-hoisting ceremony at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi, attended by the party’s top leadership, including Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and several senior leaders.
Sharing visuals and details of the event on the social media platform X, the Congress posted: “Congress President Shri @kharge hoisted the flag on ‘Congress Foundation Day’ in the presence of CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji, Leader of Opposition Shri @RahulGandhi, and senior leaders of the Congress. We must together take the Congress’s vision and ideology to every individual. We must ensure social justice for all and build a prosperous India. Jai Hind, Jai Congress.”
Addressing party workers after hoisting the flag, Kharge congratulated Congress members on the Foundation Day and extended advance New Year greetings. Recalling the party’s origins, he said the Congress was founded on December 28, 1885, in Mumbai, and that millions of Congress workers sacrificed, went to jail and endured hardship during the freedom struggle to secure India’s independence.
Kharge paid tribute to Congress freedom fighters and said the party, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, brought together women, the poor and people from all sections of society into the national movement. He noted that the 1931 Karachi resolution of the Congress later became the foundation of India’s Constitution, but warned that “democracy in the country was currently under threat”.
Highlighting key milestones, Kharge pointed out that the country is marking 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution, the 150th birth anniversary of the Constitution, and the centenary of Sarojini Naidu becoming Congress president. He said that while many nations that gained independence around 1947 failed or slipped into dictatorship, India alone sustained democracy, which he attributed to the vision and sacrifices of Congress leaders.
Kharge credited Congress governments for transforming the country through initiatives such as the Green Revolution, White Revolution, expansion of the automobile and IT sectors, and the communications revolution. He also praised the UPA era, saying that under Sonia Gandhi’s leadership, citizens’ rights were strengthened, and that historic decisions taken during Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister earned global recognition.
Taking aim at the BJP-led government, Kharge alleged, “In the past 11 years, the Modi government has weakened institutions built by the Congress.”
He warned that “jal, jungle aur zameen” (water, forests and land) are under threat and accused the RSS of undermining constitutional values, claiming its leaders had once refused to accept the Tricolour and Vande Mataram.
Calling on party workers to resist these challenges, Kharge urged them to respond to opponents in a civilised and dignified manner, invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that truth ultimately prevails even without popular support.
The Congress Foundation Day celebrations are being observed across the country with programmes highlighting the party’s 140-year legacy.
(IANS)
