Full text: ‘Democracy has never been at greater peril than it is now,’ Sonia Gandhi at party meeting

Here is the full text of Sonia Gandhi’s speech: 

Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi speech at Meeting of the General Secretaries, General Secretaries in Charge of AICC, and PCC Presidents/CLP Leaders o 12th September, 2019 at AICC, 24, Akbar Road, New Delhi

Dr Manmohan Singh j Senior Colleagues, Friends;

I welcome you to this meeting.

I think all of you well know what our agenda for today will be. Before getting into that, however, I would like to make some opening remarks.

We are meeting at a time when there is a prolonged economic slump, when job losses are mounting by the day, when the confidence of the investors is getting shakier by the day, when the government appears more and more clueless and insensitive by the day. Dr. Manmohan Singhji has recently issued an authoritative statement on the economy. I am sure all of you have read it.

We are also meeting at a time when vendetta politics is at its peak and when those who speak out against the ruling establishment are being threatened and intimidated. Each and every institution is being diabolically subverted. The voices of dissent are being silenced.

Democracy has never been at greater peril than it is now. As I said a few weeks back, the mandate of 2019 is now being mis-used and abused in a most dangerous fashion.

The country is looking to us to confront and combat these forces—forces that appropriate Gandhiji, Sardar Patel, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and misrepresent their true message for their nefarious ends. We must stand up fearlessly to fight on the streets, fight in villages, towns and cities. We must have a concrete agitational agenda on issues of pressing concern to the people—whether they be economic or social. It is not enough to be active and aggressive on the social media even though that too is needed and we need to do that better. Far more important is to go to the people directly.

Our resolve and resilience is under severe test. We cannot afford to let our self-confidence and morale falter. This is the time when it will become clear – as to who are those steadfastly devoted to the Congress as an ideology (as a vehicle), for strengthening the nation, – and those who look to the Congress only as an opportunity for self-advancement. Some of our party colleagues have left us in recent times. All I can say is that they have revealed their opportunistic character.

We are soon going to have elections in three states. The situation is challenging and it is only if we keep party interests and nothing else other than party interests uppermost in our minds, that we will regain our lost position.

Let me also say that we have a special responsibility in the states where we are in power — Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry. These states must stand out as examples of sensitive and responsive governance, accountable and transparent administration. We must be seen to be fulfilling our manifesto commitments. If not, we will lose people’s support with obvious consequences.

Before we take up the agenda, I request Dr Manmohan Singh to speak to us on the economic situation in the country.