Ahmedabad, Apr 9 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said the Congress must be a party of hope, not of resentment, a party of the future not just of the past and a party with a positive narrative and not just criticism.

He also slammed the BJP for “trying to divide North from South” and said the idea of India is that one can be a good Gujarati, a good Muslim and a good Indian all at once.

In his address at the AICC session on the banks of the Sabarmati river, Tharoor said, “As I said at the CWC meeting yesterday, the Congress must be a party of hope, not of resentment; a party of positivity not only of negativism, a party of the future not just of the past, a party with a positive narrative and not just criticism.

"I hope we will leave here with a resounding message to the nation, that we are here, we will fight, we will be resolved, we will focuss on the future and we will build a better India for all,” he said.

Tharoor said, “we are here to send out a message” from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that the Congress is reviving itself and is ready to face the challenges of tomorrow.

“Here in Gujarat where we have been out of power for three decades, we stand on the brink of a new revival and that is a moment of celebration for all of us here. 2024 has given us both good news and bad news -- a good result in the Lok Sabha elections where we doubled our strength but bad news in a number of state elections that followed,” the Congress Working Committee member said.

Seconding the resolution moved at the AICC session, Tharoor said the resolution should mark a turning point in the fortunes of the Congress.

“We need to retain and restore the votes we have won before but we have failed to win in the last three elections and that is where this resolution leads us. It is a resolution in which we express constructive criticism and not mere unrelenting negativity,” he said.

Tharoor pointed out that the resolution starts by showcasing the party’s nationalism upfront rather than ceding it to the other side.

“But our nationalism is anchored in the well-being of all our people. It is anchored in a sense of social justice for the weakest in our society. A major theme of this resolution is protecting the weak, the marginalised, the OBCs, SCs, STs, those who have been left out of the great adventure of building our nation.

“As our Constitution makes clear, it doesn’t matter what language you speak, which state you come from, what religion you profess, what caste you belong to, you are an Indian and the Constitution ensures that you have the same rights as every other Indian. That is what always the Congress has stood for,” he said.

He said the Congress is the party of inclusive India, an India of all religions, all castes, all languages, all states and all regions.

The resolution speaks of national harmony – the harmonious co-existence and striving for the well-being of all for a better tomorrow, he said.

“We understand the variety, the pluralism of India. We all come from different parts of this great country. But we understand standing here that you can be a good Gujarati, a good Muslim and a good Indian all at once,” he said.

Hitting out at the BJP, Tharoor said some are trying to divide the North from South.

“I proudly say that I am from South India and I say too, ‘Nafrat Chhorho Bharat jodo’, he said.

Uniting India is the work of all whichever corner of the country people are from but that does not mean that they forget their special commitment to their respective states, he said.

“When we hear the name of Bharat, our hearts should swell with pride; when we hear the name of Kerala, our blood should throb in our veins,” Tharoor said.

He said the party is all too conscious that the young, who are the majority of the electorate, are more concerned with what “we will do for them today and what kind of tomorrow we can provide for them”.

“Our resolution will be judged by that…Resolution speaks of economic growth, but it also speaks of importance of distributing the revenues of that growth to those who have been left behind. Our party has been and must remain the voice of the voiceless,” he said.

Noting that the resolution acknowledges the sacrifices of the unsung party workers, Tharoor said, “You are the lifeblood of the party. We stand on your shoulders. Without your hard work, this resolution would only be words. I thank you for your service.” PTI ASK SKC DV DV

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Cong must be a party of hope with positive narrative, not just criticism: Tharoor at AICC session

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