 "Congress kicks off Nehru birth anniversary celebrations")
Rahul Gandhi who addressed the gathering at Talkatora Stadium in the capital today hit out at the BJP led government's attempts to enforce Hindi. Recalling how Nehru had in 1947 said they "will use English language to unite with world", Gandhi said "People who are running the country on the basis of anger say Hindi should be used in place of English. Had we done this after independence, our youths would not have been able to go to IITs, IIMs and foreign countries."
Gandhi who led the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls to its worst ever electoral performance admitted that the party had committed mistakes. "We made mistakes, but we are not short of ideologies," he said.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi made it a point to reiterate to party workers the 129 year old history of the party and how it had faced similar periods of crises in the past, (as the present) and had resurfaced every time. Taking a dig at Modi, Sonia Gandhi drew parallels with Nehru and how despite enjoying so much power and trust
"he took the country on a path in which institutions were given more importance than an individual. He engaged in a politics, which allowed play to all kinds of thoughts," she said. "He established scientific institutions without which the Mars Mission today was not possible."
BJP did not take long to react with Shah Nawaz Hussain accusing the Congress of indulging in politics of hatred. He said Nehru was a national leader and alleged Congress is trying to reduce his legacy to the confines of their party and thus reducing his stature. Hussain accused Rahul Gandhi of "insulting the Hindi language."
The event organized by the Delhi PCC set off the year long celebrations to commemorate Nehru's 125th birth anniversary. Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Diksit adminstered the oath to follow Nehru's ideals to Congressmen.