‘Strong Cong, strong nation’

Manmohan Singh’s flight to Copenhagen delayed by two hoursWith the Centre still grappling with the agitation for a separate Telangana, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh identified regionalism alongwith terrorism, naxalism and communalism as among the “big challenges” before the country that the Congress alone can tackle.

“This is because our party’s politics is aimed at uniting the society and country and not dividing it…We believe in resolving differences and grievances through dialogue,” Singh said at the short function to commemorate the party’s 125th Foundation Day on Monday.

The hour-long ceremony took place at 1 Kotla Road, where Congress president Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone for Indira Gandhi Bhavan, the party’s proposed headquarters.

There was no reference to Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi, who was conspicuous by his absence. But Singh spoke of the need to take forward and strengthen the party’s golden legacy by involving “our young colleagues”.

He was also confident that as in the past, the Congress would effect organisational changes to attune itself to a rapidly changing world. “If the Congress becomes weak, the country also weakens. So our primary task is to strengthen the Congress,” he said.

Gandhi, who presided over the function that launched the party’s year-long celebrations, described the Congress as a “national revolution” and a party that represented a secular, democratic, just and inclusive India. She paid glowing tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi but did not mention P. V. Narasimha Rao or Sitaram Kesri whose periods she skipped over as “some of the most difficult in our party’s history”.

“Through our sustained efforts in this 125th year, we have to once again establish that the Congress is always for and with the people ... that the people look towards the Congress only,’’ she said.

There was a moment of levity when Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit referred to Delhi Pradesh Congress chief J. P. Aggarwal as Jaya Prakash Narayan.

“Aapko hasana bhi tha, na, (I wanted to make you laugh),” quipped Dikshit trying to cover up her slip of tongue. Narayan had spearheaded the campaign against Indira Gandhi, which led to the Emergency.