Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at party's conclave
New Delhi:
I visited the Naini Jail near Allahabad where Jawaharlal Nehru was imprisoned for many years
Democracy, if it means anything, means equality; not equality of possessing vote, but economic and social equality
Congress is an organisation that stands of a feeling of love and brotherhood
Jawaharlal Nehru wrote in the visitors' books of Naini jail where he was lodged
In that, there was no anger - he thanked the British for putting him in jail and making him realise his love for the motherland
India is the only country where freedom struggle was based on love
We faced lathis but we did not react in anger
This country is like the house we live in... on one hand people are cleaning up the house and on the other hand, they're spreading the poison of hatred - weakening the basis of our country
When you weaken the foundation, the enemies of this country benefit
Look at their tall promises - nothing has happened. Of course it is photo-op, they're sweeping the streets
The Congress party has made mistakes but our intentions are pure.
We may have suffered setbacks, but there is no compromise on ideologies
Sonia Gandhi is now addressing the conclave:
Jawaharlal Nehru was first among freedom fighters, the architect of India
India was free to have legendary leadership of Nehru
Nehruji's legacy belongs to the entire country
Nehru and his leadership gave us tremendous boost in development and technology
Without Nehru ji, we would not have been able to send Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan
Today attempts are being made to get rid of Nehru's ideology, legacy and vision
Nehruji fulfilled the responsibility of building a new India with enthusiasm and dedication
There is an attempt to destroy values, thought process on the basis of which Nehruji had built this nation
Those who are targeting Nehruji today, they are not targeting any person, they are targeting an ideology
Nehru was one of the people who helped India win Independence
He strove to build this country with exemplary zeal - in every field from agriculture to education
Nehru laid the foundations for institutions of science and technology
We learnt from our legendary leaders how to overcome challenges
We are a 129-year-old party, we will continue to exist despite difficulties, because we take inspiration from our forefathers
We must remember our party's history
We have faced many challenges and learned from them
We have to remain committed to our ideals and traditions
We should be proud of Congress' role of nation building
Nehruji's politics was such that it was inclusive of different viewpoints and ideologies
Nehruji's thoughts continue to be an inspiration for our party
Congress will fight against the people who are destroying the country built by Nehru's ideals
If Nehruji were here, he would have told us to unite and connect with the people