Virtually equating the ruling BJP government with the British, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said that at present the country was fighting an ideology which it had fought against during the freedom struggle.
She was addressing party leaders during a programme held to mark the 135th Foundation Day of the Congress.
"Today in the country, there are such powers in the government with whom we had a historical clash. We are at present fighting an ideology against which we fought during the freedom struggle," Priyanka Gandhi said at the UP Congress headquarters.
"Today the country is in trouble. If we do not raise our voice, we will be proved to be cowards," she added.
The Congress general secretary said that the country was in trouble and voices of dissent were emanating from different corners.
"But, the government wants to suppress it using fear. Whenever such situations arise, the Congress rises to the challenge and accepts them. There is no place for violence and fear in our heart," she said.
"The BJP makes laws which are against the Constitution and then suppresses those who oppose it. People were killed in the country, including Uttar Pradesh, and those who could not be killed were put in jails. Their only fault was that they were raising voice against a wrongdoing," Priyanka Gandhi said.
Targeting the central government, she said that a person who was in fear either resorted to violence to silence the enemy or retreated.
"The BJP silenced the voice of the people through violence and cowardice, and is now retreating saying that it (BJP) has discussed NPR and not NRC. The country is recognising your cowardice," the Congress leader said.
She also said that people from every religion and caste sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle. "The soil of this country has everyone's blood and no one can separate it".
In a tweet she said that the Congress was the voice of the last person standing and it was also the voice of farmers, youth, labourers, women and every oppressed person.
"On the 135th anniversary of the Congress, we take a pledge to completely dedicate ourselves to the party's ideology of non-violence and benevolence," she said.
This is the Congress general secretary's first visit to the state capital after violent protests against the amended citizenship law that claimed at least 19 lives.
Priyanka Gandhi had visited Bijnor on Sunday to meet families of the victims of the clashes. However, the police stopped her and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi from entering Meerut to meet the families of those killed in the violence.
