Foundation day rally venue Nagpur at heart of opposing ideologies of Ambedkar, RSS: Cong leaders

PTI, Dec 28, 2023, 8:34 PM IST

The 139th foundation day rally of the Congress was held on Thursday in Nagpur as the city represents the two ideologies, of Babasaheb Ambedkar and the RSS, that party chief Mallikarjun Kharge spoke of in his address, and between which there was a fight underway in the country as per Rahul Gandhi.

There is a fight of ideologies going on in the country, Gandhi said in his address at the Congress’ ‘Hum Tayyar Hain’ rally.

People think this is a political fight or a fight for power but the foundation of this fight is between two ideologies, Gandhi said.

”The foundation of the battle for political power is ideology and the Congress’ objective is to hand over power to the common man,” Gandhi asserted.

Nagpur houses the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), while it is also the location of Deekshabhoomi, where legendary social icon Babasaheb Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with his followers.

”If the BJP and RSS came to power again, democracy will be finished. There are two ideologies in Nagpur, one is the progressive one which belongs to Ambedkar, and other is that of the RSS which is destroying the country,” Kharge said.

Nagpur is a land of revolutionaries and is an inspiration for the people of the country, he said.

Explaining the significance of Nagpur, Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Wasnik, while addressing the gathering, said the ‘maha adhiveshan’ of the All India Congress Committee was organised in 1920 and the non-cooperation movement of Mahatma Gandhi got speed here.

Many important decisions were taken in the 1920 ‘adhiveshan’, Wasnik said, adding Nagpur played an important role in the freedom movement.

Alleging that the BJP was destroying democracy and the federal system of the country, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said Nagpur is at the centre of India and it was chosen as the rally venue since the party wanted to send a message to all citizens from here.

In 1920, under the leadership Mahatma Gandhi, the non cooperation resolution against British rule was passed in Nagpur, Patole said.

It is the responsibility of the Congress to save the country’s democratic system and the bugle call for this has been sounded from Nagpur (with the foundation day rally), he asserted.