Udaipur, May 13
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday set the ball rolling for a comprehensive revamp of the grand old organisation saying the party urgently needed reforms and extraordinary situations demanded extraordinary responses.
Acknowledging the serial electoral setbacks, Gandhi, kick-starting the three-day Chintan Shivir of the party here, appealed for unity and collective efforts as measures for revival.
“The circumstances our organisation faces today are extraordinary. Such extraordinary situations demand extraordinary measures. Every organisation, to live and prosper, must reform itself. We are in urgent need of reforms,” Gandhi said to a 422-strong gathering at seven-star Taj Aravali Resorts here, with prominent G 23 members Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma seated in the front row with Rahul Gandhi, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and P Chidambaram among others.
Sonia also launched a scathing attack on the BJP accusing it of “wholesale reinvention of history, brutalisation of minorities and subjugation of institutions”, saying the Congress must fight the BJP at “all costs”.
She, however, described the party’s own state of affairs and challenges as the moot question and assured that the Congress would reclaim its position in Indian politics.
The Congress chief minced no words in acknowledging the Congress’s limitations and said the party needed change in strategy, improvement across organisational structures and transformation in the manner of daily work.
“In one way, this (Congress transformation) is the most fundamental issue. Our revival is possible only through collective efforts. Such collective efforts will not be deferred. This Shivir starts the journey,” Gandhi said to an applause.
