Concluding remarks at the 85th Plenary Session of Congress on February 26, 2023 at Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh

“Respected friends and all our leaders sitting on the dais, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi Ji, Priyanka Gandhi Ji and all the leaders, I will present my closing speech in front of you, because I have to tell you a gist of the 6 topics prepared by all our leaders, in the form of a concluding speech. I will wind up in brief within 8-10 minutes. Even though the Raipur Session of the Indian National Congress is formally coming to an end, a new Congress is about to emerge. On this glorious occasion, I express my heartfelt gratitude to Chhattisgarh PCC President, Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel and his cabinet members, Seva Dal and all our frontal organizations, who worked hard for the last several days and organized such a wonderful event.

Representatives from every corner of the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh were present here. Sonia Ji was exhilarating when she delivered a highly encouraging speech in this session. It is extremely inspirational and empowering speech for us. The presence of senior leaders along with Rahul ji and Priyanka ji has created a new enthusiasm among the grassroots workers.

Rahul Gandhi ji just said in his speech that some people are looting the property of this country. Money and property - both are ours - and Modi ji is giving them all to one person and making that ‘Adani’ so big that today that person has got inflated like an elephant. No other businessman has been helped so much by the Government as much as Adani has been. That’s why, Rahul Gandhi ji gave a signal that the entire Congress Party, all the leaders, all the workers, all the youth, all the women, all will come together in search of the truth. We will fight for how the money came to them, how much money they made, by what means! This is what he said - we are with them, we will fight along with them, we will stand with them and we will take this message across the country. As for ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, we all made it successful from Kanyakumari to Kashmir unitedly. It was Rahul Ji’s hard work, wherein, people also joined him and told him all the things. Friends, in the history of 138 years of Congress, 85 sessions have been held so far and such decisions were taken which changed the course of the country. Among the important schemes of the country related to public concerns, there are many such, whose basic ideas came up in our sessions. Even the core ideas included in the Constitution of India came through in our sessions. Even the idea of fundamental rights included in the Constitution of India came in our Karachi resolutions of 1931 and the same idea has figured in many of our resolutions today.

In Raipur, under the same tradition, we gave final shape to the proposals related to political, economic, foreign policy, agriculture, social justice and youth, education and employment and the same 6 proposals were passed. This work was realized in many stages and a number of colleagues invested their knowledge and experience to achieve the same. From drafting to finalizing them, a long brainstorming took place. Many people participated in this and I thank all of them.

It was decided in the session to increase the number of CWC members from 25 to 35 by amending the Constitution. A historic decision has been taken to give 50 percent seats to SC/ST/OBC/women and youth in our CWC. The discussion that took place was meaningful. I hope the suggestions made here will prove useful for our Party organization and state governments as well as other sectors. These issues will be important in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well and they will be of great use in the assembly elections of half a dozen states, to be held in 2023. In the last three days in Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Nagar, Nava Raipur, we discussed various topics, which will help our Party to make future strategy. The way to reach the basic issues at the grassroots level will be strengthened. The important proposals that we have approved here are very important issues related to the future of the people of the country. We will create a new history for India by implementing them. Our Congress state governments will do that work and we will take forward this agenda in the states where our governments will be formed. We will raise these questions in Parliament and in the parliamentary forums in the states where we are in opposition. Upon coming to power in 2024, the subject related to the centre will be implemented. I would like to say a few things about the organization in the closing speech of the Raipur Congress Session. Our long history before and after independence is full of many challenges, ups and downs and successes. We struggled for the independence of the country for 62 years, achieved independence and gave the Constitution to the country. We strengthened the roots of democracy, therefore the onus of protecting these values is on us the most and the people of the country also expect the same from us.

Today, we have many challenges before us, but there is no such challenge that Congress cannot manage. What is needed is - unity, discipline and determination. Our strength lies in the strength of the Party. The message of our conduct at the national level will go to crores of our comrades at every level, district and village. Many things change with time. People’s aspirations and expectations change. New challenges emerge but there is always a way out. That is why it is said that the path of politics and social work is never-ending. We just have to keep going. Many of our generations have been walking on this path and will continue to walk ahead.

That’s why I especially want to appeal to the young friends that the future belongs to you. If the Congress is strong, then the future of this country will be prosperous. It is the biggest responsibility of all of us to take forward the atmosphere created by Rahul Ji, by treading the most difficult of paths.

There is an alarming indication of the frightening level at which inequality is increasing in the country. The rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. The rift between the village and the city is getting deeper and the tension is increasing. We have to include this in our agenda, stand with the poor, actively fight on the issues concerning farmers, laborers, Dalits, tribals, youth and women. The campaign against unemployment and inflation has to be kept on the agenda and we have to fight strongly against the ideology that spreads hatred. The biggest challenge is to save the Constitution and democracy created by Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Friends, Congress stands for ‘Patriotism and Sacrifice’ Congress stands for ‘Service and Dedication’ Congress stands for ‘Loyalty and Inspiration’ Congress stands for ‘Prosperity and Happiness’ Congress stands for ‘Compassion and Justice’ Congress stands for ‘Fearlessness and Discipline’ Congress stands for ‘Indianness’

Every Congress leader and worker is a symbol of this spirit. They have to go ahead and do more work. We must remember that the Indian National Congress not only liberated the country but also laid the foundation of a prosperous India. We have created such an India, which is the largest and strongest democracy in the world.

Brothers and sisters, there were 6 topics, I will speak about those 6 topics in brief.

1. Political - This session has made it clear that our ideological fight against BJP-RSS will be intense. Electoral contests will continue to happen, but no matter how long it takes and how much struggle it takes, we are ready to fight unitedly. We got the same guidance from ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ as well.

2. Economic - Increasing economic disparities, reckless privatization of public properties, rising unemployment and inflation are our biggest economic challenges. We have to follow mixed economy model. The role of public sector has to be given new strength. We have to especially save the country from ‘friendly capitalism’.

3. Farmers and farm laborers - Farmers and farm laborers should be the priority of our economic policy. Green Revolution and White Revolution were made possible by the Congress governments. The country changed through them. Privatization of agriculture will be detrimental to the country. There is no other way than more ‘economic investment’ in agriculture. All of us support the proposal that we have made here for the farmers.

4. Social Justice and Empowerment - It has become mandatory to conduct caste census. The UPA government had conducted caste census between 2011, 2012 and 2013. The survey could not be published because of change in the government. The new census is essential, the legal and constitutional provisions meant for ‘social justice and empowerment’ have to be implemented in letter-and-spirit.

5. Upliftment of youth - In this, the ‘New Education Policy’ is actually Nagpur Education Policy, it is the policy of RSS, we are completely against it. It will take our country and society backwards. The constitution they want to make and the teachings they want to give is of ‘Manuwad’. They want to teach ‘Manusmriti’, so we have to fight them firmly. It is necessary for you to study, for this we should keep fighting unitedly.

6. Foreign Policy - By giving a clean chit to China, we have shot ourselves in the foot. Today, a failed foreign policy is seen, embittering our relations with the neighbouring countries with which we had good relations earlier. Our leader Shri Rahul Gandhi highlighted certain things about China. In response, we were criticized for not being patriots and being traitors. Only they (BJP-RSS) seem to be patriots! They are creating such an atmosphere and the things we are asking them – our land has been invaded. It (China) is building a bridge on our land, it is building a house on our land, we are asking how it came - so without giving any information about it, they (BJP-RSS) keep commenting on the Congress. They keep commenting on Rahul ji as well, but we will keep pointing out the mistakes made by the government, we will not be cowed down. Our job is to keep the country safe and united.

I would like to conclude by telling all of you friends that not only should you convey the announcement made in Raipur to the people of the country, but also remember that every member of our Congress Party is working for democracy and the Constitution and for the welfare of our country. We will fight for the future till our last breath and win unitedly.

In the end, I want to tell you that only a strong Congress can make a ‘Buland Bharat’ (an exalted India).

You speak with me – ‘Mazboot Congress…Buland Bharat’.

Friends, I thank all of you and I would like to welcome all the delegates and all the friends and the leaders of our Steering Committee and especially the guests here, the host Chief Minister, our PCC President, his ministers, along with our Seva Dal workers. The love given by all of them to our people, to the representatives, to the Congress workers, by arranging for them well, they have won everyone’s heart. So, I conclude my speech by thanking them too. Jai Hind! Thank you!