‘Emulates the cruel British’: Congress accuses BJP of violent ideology, pledges return to ‘Nyaypath’

In a resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee at the ongoing AICC convention in Ahmedabad, the party asserted that the BJP is promoting the same ideology that “murdered Mahatma Gandhi.”

Published Apr 08, 2025 | 6:04 PMUpdated Apr 08, 2025 | 6:04 PM

‘Emulates the cruel British’: Congress accuses BJP of violent ideology, pledges return to ‘Nyaypath’

Synopsis: At its two-day convention in Ahmedabad, the Indian National Congress accused the BJP of fostering a violent, divisive governance akin to that of British colonial rule. In a resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee, the party alleged that the BJP was undermining national unity, suppressing dissent, and betraying farmers, echoing the exploitative practices of the Raj.

At its two-day convention in Ahmedabad, the Indian National Congress launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of reviving colonial-era policies and fostering a violent, divisive ideology.

In a resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) after its meeting on the first day of the convention on 8 April, asserted that the BJP is promoting the same ideology that “murdered Mahatma Gandhi.”

The convention marked the first All India Congress Committee (AICC) convention in Gujarat since 1961, coinciding with the 115th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi’s presidency of the Congress.

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Colonial repression

The Congress drew stark parallels between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and British colonial rule, particularly in its handling of dissent and farmers’ issues.

The resolution alleged that the BJP’s actions – from weakening land acquisition laws to the introduction of the contentious farm laws – mirrored colonial repression.

“The BJP government of today emulates the cruel British policies against the farmers,” the resolution stated, citing examples such as the blocking of farmers’ protests using road spikes and the “crushing [of] farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri under the jeeps of BJP leaders as an act of revenge for demanding justice.”

The party further accused the BJP of reneging on promises, specifically the failure to implement a Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee law, and compared these actions to the exploitative policies of the British Raj.

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Divisive governance

Congress also accused the BJP of undermining national unity through regional, linguistic, and cultural divisions.

Drawing a contrast with the post-Independence efforts to unify India, the resolution claimed that “the BJP seeks to fragment India’s united spirit by creating artificial splits of regionalism,” through north versus south and east versus west divisions.

It recalled how “the British captured power through one-sided agreements and compromises with the erstwhile rulers of princely states,” and praised the role of leaders like Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru in laying the democratic foundations of modern India.

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‘A perverted ideology’

The party further accused the BJP and its ideological affiliates such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of promoting a “violent ideology” opposed to the principles of non-violence and truth that guided the freedom movement.

“The forces opposed to the foundational principles of truth and non-violence… personify the same violent ideology that murdered Mahatma Gandhi,” the resolution read, referring to Nathuram Godse, Gandhi’s assassin, who it said “was indoctrinated by this very perverted ideology.”

The resolution also referenced Sardar Patel’s decision to ban the RSS on 4 February 1948, and noted that even Patel and Nehru were once targets of this ideology, which had called for their “public hanging.”

“Today,” the resolution warned, “the ideology of violence and communalism is pushing the country into an abyss of hatred, fuelled by divisions rooted in religious polarisation.”

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A return ‘Nyaypath’

Positioning itself as a force for justice and unity, Congress reaffirmed its commitment to constitutional values through what it calls a return to the ‘Nyaypath’ – the path of justice.

“Congress President, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, and the proponent of social justice, our leader, Shri Rahul Gandhi… are more determined than ever to walk on the ‘Nyaypath’ in our struggle to protect the Constitution and our democracy,” the resolution declared.

It framed this path as a continuation of Sardar Patel’s legacy, pledging to fight for workers’ rights, confront communal polarisation, and combat misinformation.

“The Congress Party is determined to tread the path of Sardar Patel in reclaiming the spirit of India through the call to ‘Shed Hatred – Unite India,’” it stated.

“[The party] stands firmly committed to walking the path illuminated by Sardar Patel, to imbibe his ideals, and to reshape our present and future in accordance with his vision. This, we believe, is the truest tribute to the life’s work of the Iron Man, Sardar Patel.”

(Edited by Dese Gowda)

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