Congress Pledges to Expose Hypocrisy of Those Who Use Gandhian Symbols but Don't Uphold His Values

On Gandhi Jayanti, the Congress promised to "expose" the "total hypocrisy" of individuals who hijack Gandhian symbols and project his legacy to the world, "but are simply unable and unwilling to uphold the values he championed."

Additionally, the opposition party made a commitment to work for the triumph of "truth over lies" and to ensure that "politics of compassion" triumph over "politics of hate, vengeance, and prejudice."

The Congress honored Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his birthday, with party leader Mallikarjun Kharge praising him as the moral leader of the nation and not simply an individual.

Kharge, the leader of the Congress, presented flowers at Rajghat, the site of Mahatma Gandhi's memorial.

He said in a post on X that "Mahatma Gandhi ji is not just an individual, he is an idea, an ideology, and the moral compass of our great nation." The values he upheld—truth, non-violence, freedom, equality, and coexistence—are timeless. On the occasion of Bapu's birthday, we salute him with reverence," Kharge stated.

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.

????Raj Ghat |… pic.twitter.com/j54hRebVJS — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 2, 2023

Rahul Gandhi remembered Mahatma Gandhi as the one who led people down the road of truth, nonviolence, harmony, and a unified India in a post in Hindi on the social media platform X.

सत्य, अहिंसा और सौहार्द का रास्ता, भारत को जोड़ने का रास्ता महात्मा गांधी ने ही दिखाया था। बापू को उनकी जयंती पर शत शत नमन। pic.twitter.com/8mNGpSYcP6 — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 2, 2023

"Let us stand with those Gandhian organizations 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," said Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. Let's promise to oppose those forces, he continued, "who exalt the thoughts and deeds of God."

"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 his life down for," Ramesh said.

इस गांधी जयंती पर, आइए हम देश के कई हिस्सों, विशेष रूप से वाराणसी, अहमदाबाद और नई दिल्ली के गांधीवादी संगठनों के साथ खड़े हों। इन संगठनों पर वे ताकतें लगातार हमला कर रही हैं और इनकी घेराबंदी बंद कर रही हैं, जिन्होंने न सिर्फ़ महात्मा गांधी से जीवन भर लड़ाई लड़ी, बल्कि ऐसा माहौल… pic.twitter.com/YCdIoh8BYC — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 2, 2023

He also asked people to keep in mind that the Mahatma lived a life of complete honesty and transparency and did not harbor any resentment toward those who opposed him.

Ramesh claimed that Gandhi avoided intolerance, prejudice, and hostility and never utilized religion to stir up animosity.

He said that his character was not one for vengeance or spectacle.

"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 urged.

"On Gandhi Jayanti, we pay a billion tributes to the Mahatma, whose lifelong dedication to the cause of freedom won India her Independence," the Congress wrote in a post on the social media platform X.

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. pic.twitter.com/W56XTTMIgB — Congress (@INCIndia) October 2, 2023

Let us promise to uphold his ideals of harmony, peace, and non-violence, which are the cornerstone of our country, the party added.