136th foundation day of Congress: Rahul Gandhi absent, farmers’ protest focus of tomorrow’s events

The 136th foundation day of the Indian National Congress will be observed through various campaigns on December 28. The All India Congress Committee earlier asked the state units to come up with innovative campaign ideas to connect with the youth. Tiranga Yatra and Selfie with Tiranga are two campaigns that the party has launched apparently to engage with people on nationalism plank. However, Rahul Gandhi is out of India and will be away for a few days, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala confirmed on Sunday after reports of him leaving the country a day ahead of the party’s foundation day started doing the rounds on social media.

The focus of this foundation day will also be on the ongoing farmers’ protest which the party has been supporting from the beginning. Rahul Gandhi has also sharpened his attack on the government and PM Modi regarding the farmers’ protest.

The Indian National Congress was formed on December 28, 1885, and its first session was held in then Bombay from December 28 to December 31. Umesh Chandra Banerjee was the first president of Congress.

“INC has been at the forefront in the efforts to forge a secular, democratic and united India, an India which is a world leader in all fields and has always put India first despite all odds and obstacles. The INC fought for and won India’s independence, forged the constitutional idea of India, built up the nation from one of the poorest (when India gained independence) in the world to a global superpower,” AICC said in its press release.

The anniversary comes at a time when the Grand Old Party is battling crises both inside and outside. The electoral crisis has been aggravated by a rebellion inside as several veteran Congress leaders, including a few former CMs, wrote a letter demanding organisational reforms in the party.

On December 19, Congress president Sonia Gandhi met the dissenters and several other senior leaders at her 10, Janpath residence where it has been indicated that there will be an election for the president post. It was learnt that most leaders in the meeting opined that they want Rahul Gandhi as the president. The last election was held in 1997 under Sitaram Kesri at the Calcutta plenary.