CONGRESS President Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday gave the party’s 136th Foundation Day event a miss with senior party leader A K Antony unfurling the flag at the AICC headquarters here. A number of senior party functionaries were present at the meeting, inclding AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Others present included some of the “letter-writers” like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, who had sought an organisational overhaul in the party, besides Sachin Pilot who revolted against the Congress Government in Rajasthan sometime ago.

 

While Sonia Gandhi has been avoiding attending public events, Rahul Gandhi left on a short personal visit abroad only on Sunday. Sonia urges partymen to unite in fighting ‘dictatorship’: On the foundation day of the Congress on Monday, its chief Sonia Gandhi urged the party leaders and workers to unite in “fighting dictatorship” in the country and protecting its democracy, Constitution and people. Addressing party workers in a video message on the 136th foundation day of the party, Gandhi claimed that the country is going through difficult times as prevailing before independence.

 

Congratulating the Congress leaders and workers on the completion of 135 years of the party’s formation, she said it has traversed the path from the freedom struggle till now for achieving the values of patriotism, fearlessness, selflessness, selfless service towards humanity, brotherhood and the country’s unity and integrity. Gandhi said the party was launched as part of a “jan andolan” (people’s movement) during the freedom struggle and has seen times when atrocities were committed on its leaders and workers. Later speaking to reporters, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Government should listen to the voice of farmers and should not dub the agitation as a “political conspiracy”. “To say that this is a political conspiracy is wrong. I feel that the words being used for farmers are a sin.

 

The Government is answerable to the farmers and the Government should talk to the farmers and take back the laws,” she said. She said the jawans protecting the country’s borders are the sons of farmers and the Government should understand that the farmers are the ‘annadatas’ (food givers) of the country. She did not answer queries on Rahul Gandhi’s absence. Rahul Gandhi left for abroad on Sunday afternoon on a short personal visit and would be away for a few days.