Sonia seeks Congress ’Chintan Shivir’ ideas to tackle corruption, atrocities on women

mangaloretoday.com/ ITV

Jaipur, Jan 18: The two-day Congress Chitan Shivir began today with party president Sonia Gandhi asking party leaders to address issues concerning corruption, safety of women and problems faced by the poor and middles classes.
In her opening speech at the strategy session, Sonia Gandhi obliquely referred to the electoral defeats faced by the party in several states consecutively (examples, Gujarat, Odisha, MP, UP) and asked the party to gear up to face the challenges.

 

"We have squandered many opportunities which the people were willing to give us", said the party president.

"Our workers and leaders must understand that in the party’s victory lies the victory of each one of us", said Gandhi, as the assembled workers clapped.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, and senior leaders  A K Antony, Motilal Vora and Ambika Soni sat on the dais, as Sonia Gandhi spoke.

"Our citizens are not only concerned about corruption in public life in high places, they are also concerned over corruption in daily life. We must understand their concerns and respond to them", said Gandhi.

The party president deplored ostentatious weddings, saying that "celebrating wedding and festival is one thing, but lavishness and ostentation  begs the question as where the money is coming from".

Sonia Gandhi asked party leaders to address concerns mentioned by citizens in the social media, TV and internet, as most of the people in the country now belong to the young generation.

Earlier, party leader Ambika Soni announced that five groups have been formed: one, on political challenges,  two, on emerging socio-economic challenges, three, atrocities on women and children and empowerment of women,  four, India and the World, and five, organisation power.