The All India Congress Committee (AICC) session held in Ahmedabad on April 8-9 marked a pivotal moment for the Congress Party. Seeking to revitalise its organisational structure and political strategy, the party framed the session as a bold step toward reclaiming its foundational vision. The event, the sixth Congress session held in Gujarat since the party’s inception in 1885, symbolically evoked a call for a “second freedom struggle”– this time, against forces threatening the Constitution and democratic ethos of the country.
In states where the party has seen a recent decline, Congress leaders expressed determination to regain lost ground and re-establish public trust.
While no formal resolution was passed regarding the controversial amendments to the Waqf Act, top Congress leaders vehemently criticised the legislation in their speeches, branding it “anti-Constitutional” and an attack on religious freedom – designed to foment communal division.
A Battle of Ideologies
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi delivered a searing critique of the RSS-BJP, accusing them of spreading hatred and undermining India’s secular fabric. He referenced a recent incident in Rajasthan where a temple was ritually cleansed following a visit by Dalit Congress leader Tika Ram Jully, calling it evidence of deep-rooted caste prejudice perpetuated by BJP supporters.
Gandhi denounced the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 as part of a broader campaign targeting minorities. Citing an RSS-affiliated publication that allegedly indicated Christians would be the next focus, he warned that Sikhs, too, were not exempt from this pattern. He also rebuked leaders like Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu for supporting the Waqf Bill in Parliament.
“This is a battle of ideologies – on one side, the RSS-BJP; on the other, the Congress,” Gandhi said. “Only the Congress, with its Constitution-based ideology, can counter this threat.” He accused the BJP government of covertly attacking constitutional institutions and values, referencing the RSS’s historical opposition to the Constitution, including their protest in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan the day it was adopted, when the RSS activists burnt copies of the constitution.
The Case for a Caste Census
Reaffirming Congress’s commitment to social justice, Gandhi advocated for a nationwide caste census, calling it a “social X-ray” essential to understanding and correcting inequalities in representation and decision-making. He cited the Telangana caste census, which revealed that 90% of the population –comprising Dalits, OBCs, Adivasis, minorities, and economically weaker general castes – had limited influence in governance.
Critique of Privatization and Foreign Policy
Gandhi also criticised the large-scale privatisation of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), alleging that assets including ports, airports, and key industries were being handed over to corporate allies like Adani. He mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s once-vaunted relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump, noting the imposition of 26% tariffs on Indian imports during Modi’s recent U.S. visit. “Where was the friendship then?” he asked, warning of potential economic upheaval and job losses amid already record-high unemployment.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the BJP’s win in Maharashtra, citing alleged manipulation and accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of stonewalling Congress’s request for the voter list.
Constitution Under Siege
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge opened the session with a scathing indictment of the BJP and RSS, denouncing the Waqf (Amendment) Act as a calculated attempt to inflame communal tensions and subvert India’s secular principles. “We are now fighting a second freedom struggle – this time, against poverty, injustice, discrimination, and communalism,” he said. Comparing today’s rulers to colonial powers, Kharge asserted that the government was exploiting communal divisions for political gain.
He criticised Modi’s reluctance to conduct a caste census despite publicly identifying as backward. “Modi lights the fire; the RSS pours petrol on it,” Kharge remarked, encapsulating the Congress narrative of ideological resistance.
He also condemned the government’s conduct in Parliament, accusing it of suppressing democratic debate while running sessions into the early morning hours to push divisive agendas. He criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s silence on the situation in Manipur, calling it an intentional evasion.
Kharge highlighted the government’s failure to address economic issues such as the U.S. tariffs on Indian goods and accused the ECI of ignoring election malpractices, including an allegedly fabricated voter list in Maharashtra. “Instead of addressing these critical issues, the government is polarising society,” he said. He also noted the closure of nearly five lakh MSMEs in the last five years, contradicting the government’s “Make in India” narrative.
The Nyay Path Resolution
On the session’s concluding day along the banks of the Sabarmati River, the Congress adopted the “Nyay Path” resolution, outlining its vision on key national priorities including agriculture, foreign policy, economy, social justice, communal harmony, and gender equality.
Presented by senior leader Sachin Pilot, the resolution – titled Nyay Path: Sankalp, Samarpan, Sangharsh – accused the BJP government of inflicting “grave injustice” through rising inflation, unemployment, economic disparity, communal polarisation, and authoritarianism. “The soul of our democracy – the Constitution – is under siege,” it declared. It also criticised the Modi government’s silence on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, reaffirming the Congress Party’s commitment to a peaceful, negotiated resolution and the establishment of a separate Palestinian state as per UN mandates.
Symbolism and Strategy
The choice of Ahmedabad – Gujarat’s capital and a historical hub of India’s freedom movement – was deeply symbolic. It was the first time in over 60 years that the Congress held an AICC session in the state. This not only invoked the memory of past struggles for independence but also signalled the party’s resolve to reclaim political ground in a state where it has suffered significant setbacks.
The Congress used the platform to project itself as a reinvigorated force – committed to constitutional values, social equity, and the protection of minority rights – willing to confront the RSS-BJP on ideological and policy fronts.
Yet, the real challenge remains: Can these positions resonate with voters in an increasingly polarised political landscape? And can Congress translate rhetoric into grassroots mobilisation and electoral gains?