Congress on Gandhi Jayanti: ensure politics of compassion over politics of hate

The Congress on Gandhi Jayanti on Monday vowed to "expose" the "total hypocrisy" of those who appropriate Gandhian symbols and project his legacy to the world, "but are simply unable and unwilling to uphold the values he championed." The opposition party also resolved to work towards the victory of "truth over lies", and ensure that the politics of compassion prevails over the "politics of hate, vengeance and prejudice." The Congress paid rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge hailing him as not just an individual, but an ideology and the moral compass of the country.

Congress chief Kharge paid floral tributes at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat here.

In a post on X, he said, "Mahatma Gandhi ji is not just an individual, he is an idea, an ideology and the moral compass of our great nation." "His ideals of truth, non-violence, freedom, equality and coexistence have eternal value. We bow in reverence to Bapu's ideals on his Jayanti," Kharge said.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that this Gandhi Jayanti, "let us stand with those Gandhian organisations in different parts of the country, especially Varanasi, Ahmedabad and New Delhi which are under siege and assault by the forces who not only fought the Mahatma all his life but played a key role in creating a climate that led to his assassination." "Let us pledge to fight those elements who glorify the ideas and actions of Godse," he said.

"This Gandhi Jayanti, let us expose the total and complete hypocrisy of those who appropriate Gandhian symbols — his spectacles, charkha and walking stick — and project his legacy to the world, but are simply unable and unwilling to uphold all the values he championed and ultimately laid down his life for," Ramesh said.

He also urged people to recall that the Mahatma practised complete transparency and openness, and had no vengeful feelings for his opponents.

Gandhi shunned bigotry, prejudice and hatred, and never misused religion to inflame people's passions, Ramesh said.

Vengeance and showmanship was alien to his character, he added.

"This Gandhi Jayanti, let us all resolve to work towards the victory of truth over lies, and ensure that the politics of compassion prevails over the politics of hate, vengeance and prejudice," he said.

In a post on X, the Congress said, "On Gandhi Jayanti, we pay a billion tributes to the Mahatma, whose life-long dedication to the cause of freedom won India her Independence." "Let us pledge that his values of peace, unity and non-violence — the bedrock of our nation — continue to act as our guiding light," the party said.