Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Congress' Plenary Session on Sunday, 26 February, Rahul Gandhi stated that the PM and industrialist Gautam Adani "are one."
"Adani and PM Modi are one, they collude with each other and Adani is getting benefits at the behest of PM Modi. When we questioned the PM on his relationship with Adani, the entire government got down to defending Adani."Rahul Gandhi
The Congress leader, speaking to a gathering of around 15,000 party delegates in the session in Chhattisgarh's Raipur, also added that the PM took away the 'Pride of Tricolour' from the Kashmiri youth.
"Modi ji took away the pride of hoisting tricolour from the Kashmiri youth, we gave them back... PM Modi went and hoisted the flag at Lal Chowk in Kashmir. When the Bharat Jodo Yatra reached Kashmir, the most terrorist-infested state in India, it was filled with the tricolour."Rahul Gandhi
Gandhi went on to say that, unlike the PM, the Bharat Jodo Yatra made "thousands of Kashmiri youth to hoist the flag."
'Satyagrahi' Vs 'Satta Ke Rahi'
Continuing his attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress leader also said that while the ruling party "beats those who are weaker than them," it "bows down to those who are stronger than them."
"A few days ago a minister in an interview said that China's economy is bigger than the Indian economy so how could we fight them? When the British ruled us was their economy smaller than us ? Would you not fight against a mighty opponent ? This is cowardice."
Taking a dig at the party, Gandhi said that while the Congress party is 'Satyagrahi', the ruling party is 'Satta Ke Rahi'.
Lessons From The Yatra
Speaking at the plenary session before its conclusion, Rahul Gandhi said that he learned a lot from the Bharat Jodo Yatra and that it made him shed his ego.
"Initially for the first two months, I had to ask – What do you do? How many kids do you have? What's your problem? But after that I could understand them and they could understand me just by a handshake or a hug."
But that wasn't all. The Congress leader said that he shed his ego during the yatra.
"Bharat Mata told me to shed my ego if I wanted to walk from Kanyakumari to Kashmir."Rahul Gandhi
Speaking the resilience and the struggles of the women he met during the yatra, Gandhi told the party delegates,
I met a woman who came and said, "Bhaiya I have come here to meet you. I asked her what happened? She responded that her husband was beating her and she had ran from her home to meet me."
Gandhi asked the woman if he should call the police and she said no.
"She said that I am going back to get beaten again but I just wanted to tell you what's happening to me."
Decisions Taken In The Plenary Session
In the 85th plenary session, the party made certain amendments to its constitution, including:
50 percent reservation across All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) posts for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes
Total members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to be increased from 25 to 35, of which 50% seats will be reserved for SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, youth and women
Only digital membership moving forward
Inclusion of transgenders in all forms in the party. Also, the category for the name of the mother and wife to be included
All elected representatives of the Congress to be automatically made the delegates of block-, district- and state-level committees
One AICC member to be chosen for every 6 PCC delegates
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)