Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday hoisted the Congress flag on the occasion of the party's 138th Foundation Day here.
Addressing the media at the party's Jaipur office, the senior Congress leader said: "Our fight is against RSS and BJP's ideology. They are weakening democracy, and people will not tolerate it. After 50 years, a Dalit has become the president of our party. It's a moment of glory for us."
Accepting the fact that Congress has lost its connection with the people, the chief minister said, "It happens. That's why Rahul Gandhi has initiated such mass rally of Bharat Jodo Yatra. After the completion of the yatra, we have a few more programmes. We will coordinate with other ministers and party workers."
Later on Wednesday, Mallikarjun Kharge, who was elected party president in September, will inaugurate the Foundation Day program organized in Mumbai after attending the program at the party headquarters in Delhi.
Changing the tradition, after 37 years, the Congress president will visit Mumbai on Foundation Day, where the party was founded in 1885. The Indian National Congress was founded on December 28, 1885, in then Bombay (Mumbai) in the presence of 72 delegates at Das Tejpal Sanskrit College.
Its founder was General Secretary AO Hume while WC Banerjee was made the President. Apart from all the state headquarters, the main program is generally held at the national headquarters of Delhi where the National President of Congress hoists the party flag. In its centenary year in 1985, Rajiv Gandhi attended the party's foundation day in Mumbai as the Congress President. And that year the main event was held in Mumbai itself.
The party won the Himachal Pradesh polls in the recently concluded Assembly polls. It lost the Gujarat Assembly elections though both of which took place after Kharge took charge.By visiting the place of origin on the Foundation Day of the party, it appears the party wants to give out a message to the workers about the party values. (ANI)
