NEW DELHI: The Congress found itself at a familiar crossroads during the two days of long deliberations in Ahmedabad — fight fire with fire, or move forward with positivity to revive itself.
The party bigwigs — led by Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi — continued its direct attack on BJP and RSS. The leaders slammed the Waqf law terming it a blow to religious freedom and the Constitution. Sounding an alarm, Congress warned that after targeting Muslims, the RSS would come for Christians, Sikhs, and other minorities next. The other frequently-repeated charges against BJP included alleged election fraud, party’s ‘divide’ ideology and “threat to Constitution”.
In its resolution, Congress drew a sharp line between its idea of nationalism and that of the BJP-RSS, saying its nationalism unites people, while the “pseudo-nationalism” of BJP is fuelled by hate and prejudice.
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The party accused BJP of being on a “Machiavellian quest for exploitative power”, driven not by principle but by political greed.
Reasserting its commitment to secularism, Congress said its vision draws from India’s age-old inclusive traditions — unlike the BJP, which it accused of trying to fracture the nation’s soul for short-term political gain and the “lust for power”.
Shashi Tharoor, however, decided to outline an alternative vision for the party – one that of hope and not resentment.
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“We must be a party of the future, not just of the past. A party with a positive vision, not only negativity. A party that offers solutions, not just slogans,” Tharoor said at the AICC session.
From the land of Gandhi and Patel, Tharoor said the message was clear: “Congress is back in the fight, ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow and build a better, inclusive India for all.”
“We need to retain and restore the votes we have won before but we have failed to win in the last three elections and that is where this resolution leads us. It is a resolution in which we express constructive criticism and not mere unrelenting negativity,” he said.
Tharoor’s alternative suggestion for the party comes at a time when he has made headlines for complimenting BJP-led Modi government for India’s stance in Russia-Ukraine war and PM Modi’s vaccine diplomacy during Covid outbreak.
As the Congress charts its uncertain road ahead and tries to revive itself after losing back-to-back elections, Tharoor’s suggestion provides an interesting and stark choice. Should the party continue its battle of confrontation or pivot to a message of hope and inclusivity. The two-day AICC session may not have settled this strategic dilemma, but it has certainly raised the most critical question for the party: should Congress remain defined by its opposition to the BJP-RSS, or strive to lead India’s political narrative with a bold, positive vision for the future?
