Attempt being made to destroy Nehru's ideology: Sonia

Speaking at the launch of conclave at the Talkatora stadium in Delhi to mark the 125th birth anniversary of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Sonia remarked that "Today attempts are being made to get rid of Nehru's ideology, legacy and vision. There is an attempt to destroy values, thought process on the basis of which Nehruji had built this nation."

Without naming BJP, Congress President said, "Those who are targeting Nehruji today, they are not targeting any person, they are targeting an ideology. Nehruji's legacy belongs to the entire country. Congress will fight against the people who are destroying the country  built by Nehru's ideals. If Nehruji were here, he would have told us to unite and connect with the people."

Terming Nehru as the "architect of India", Sonia said: "Jawaharlal Nehru was first among freedom fighters. Nehru was one of the people who helped India win Independence. India was free to have legendary leadership of Nehru."

She added, "Nehruji fulfilled the responsibility of building a new India with enthusiasm and dedication. He strove to build this country with exemplary zeal - in every field from agriculture to education."

Sonia said, "Nehru laid the foundations for institutions of science and technology. Nehru and his leadership gave us tremendous boost in development and technology. Without Nehru ji, we would not have been able to send Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan."

Congress President went on saying that one must remember party's history. "We must remember our party's history. We are a 129-year-old party, we will continue to exist despite difficulties, because we take inspiration from our forefathers. We learnt from our legendary leaders how to overcome challenges."

Sonia said, "Nehruji's politics was such that it was inclusive of different viewpoints and ideologies. Nehruji's thoughts continue to be an inspiration for our partyWe have faced many challenges and learned from them. We have to remain committed to our ideals and traditions. We should be proud of Congress' role of nation building."

BJP reacted sharply to Congress statements by saying, "It is Congress, which is diminishing Nehru's status. Politics of hatred being promoted by them, not us."

"We respect all languages, they has no right to insult Hindi," the party added.