'Congress in Dire Need of Improvements': Sonia Gandhi at Chintan Shivir

In her opening remarks at the Congress's 'Chintan Shivir' (introspection session) in Rajasthan's Udaipur, the party's Interim President Sonia Gandhi on Friday, 13 May, said that the conclave was a time to deliberate on both national problems and the party's own issues.

"The Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir gives us an opportunity to discuss among ourselves the numerous challenges that the country is facing due to the policies of the BJP and the RSS and their affiliates. It is also an occasion to deliberate on the many tasks ahead of us. It is a chintan about national issues, and a meaningful 'aatmachintan' about our party organisation."

Sonia Gandhi, Interim President, Congress

"We are in dire need of improvements," Gandhi acknowledged in her speech.

"The party is facing unprecedented circumstances. Unusual situations can only be answered with unusual ways. A party, in order to stay alive and to make progress, has to make changes in itself from time to time. We need improvements in our strategies and our daily work," she continued, emphasising on "collective effort" in the process. "We have to keep the organisation above personal ambitions as the party has given us a lot and it is time to pay it back," Gandhi added.

The Chintan Shivir, which was called after the party's abysmal defeat in the recently held state Assembly elections, is being attended by over 400 delegates from the Congress, and will deliberate on structural reorganisation of the party.

'Not Unaware of Losses'

Gandhi noted that the party's leadership was not unaware of the unsuccessful outcomes that the Congress has recently faced, and neither was it ignorant of the difficult work that lay ahead to satisfy the hopes of the people.

"I appeal to all of you to keep your opinions openly during the session, but that only one message should go outside the party. The party should send a strong message of unity to the country," she told the party's leaders.

Painfully Clear What Modi Govt Means by 'Maximum Governance, Minimum Govt': Sonia Gandhi

Speaking about the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Opposition leader Sonia Gandhi said:

"By now it has become abundantly and most painfully clear what PM Modi and his colleagues really mean by their slogan 'Maximum Governance, Minimum Government. It means keeping the country in a permanent state of polarisation, compelling people to live in a constant state of fear and insecurity. It means viciously targeting, victimising, and often brutalising minorities who're an integral part of our society and are equal citizens of our republic... and subverting the carefully nurtured idea of unity and diversity."

"It means frightening and intimidating political opponents, jailing them on flimsy pretexts, misusing investigative agencies against them. It means the wholesale reinvention of history. It means constant denigration of our leaders, especially Jawaharlal Nehru. It means glorifying the killers of Mahatma Gandhi. It means blatantly undermining the pillar of our Constitution," she continued.