Two separate schools of thought have emerged from within the Congress as it deliberated upon dealing with the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre at its AICC session in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, its first in the state in 64 years.
While the majority view is that the Congress must continue with its strategy of aggressive criticism of the government and opposition to its every move, another strand of thought argues that the party must offer an alternative narrative instead of just negativity even in criticising the government.
This alternative view, aired by Congress' Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor, came during a discussion on the main resolution to be adopted by the Congress at the AICC session.
Tharoor said that the party was reviving and ready to face the challenges of the future. "We need to retain and restore the votes we won before but have failed to win in the last three elections. That is where the resolution leads us… in which we express constructive criticism and not mere unrelenting negativity. Our resolution starts off by showcasing our nationalism upfront rather than ceding nationalism to the other side," The Indian Express quoted Tharoor as saying in Ahmedabad.
Tharoor also cautioned against depending on just past glory and said that the young voters who are the majority today do not give much importance to history. "They want to know what we will do for them and what kind of tomorrow we can provide them," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said, suggesting that this is what the AICC resolution should focus on.
"The Congress must be a party of hope and 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, that we will be resolute, we will focus on the future, and we will build a better India for all," he said.
In his address, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge led a fierce attack against the Modi government and repeated the allegations on EVMs, terming the Maharashtra election results as "unprecedented fraud", and demanding that India return to the system of holding elections through ballot papers.
He also accused the Modi government of "selling off" government assets to benefit crony capitalists. "One day, the Modi government and Modi himself will sell this country," he said.
Kharge also raised the issue of tariffs imposed by the US and accused the Modi government of not allowing a discussion on the matter in Parliament. He further termed the Supreme Court verdict on Tuesday on the powers of the Governor as a "slap that the Centre will not forget too easily".
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