Top 10 quotes by Rahul Gandhi at the inauguration of INC new headquarters, Indira Gandhi Bhawan

NEW DELHI: The Indian National Congress inaugurated its new national headquarters, Indira Gandhi Bhawan, on 9A Kotla Road, New Delhi, marking a historic transition from its 47-year-old base at 24, Akbar Road.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Opposition delivered a fiery speech during the same.

Top 10 Quotes by Rahul Gandhi in his speech:

1. “This building, this is not an ordinary building. It has emerged from the soil of our country; it has emerged as a result of the sacrifice and hard work of millions of people—not just sacrifices prior to independence but sacrifices till today.”
Rahul Gandhi connected the new headquarters with the struggles of freedom fighters and Congress workers across generations, emphasizing its symbolic importance as a monument to resilience and service.

2. “The chief of the RSS said that India never achieved independence in 1947. He said that the true independence was gained when the Ram Mandir was built.”
Highlighting a controversial statement by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Rahul Gandhi criticized attempts to undermine the significance of India’s independence in 1947.

3. “To say that India did not get independence in 1947 is an insult to every single Indian person. It is high time that we stop listening to this nonsense.”
Rahul called Bhagwat’s remarks a direct insult to India’s freedom struggle and urged citizens to reject divisive rhetoric.

4. “The Constitution, which was the fruit of the freedom movement, was essentially attacked by Mr. Mohan Bhagwat when he says that the Constitution was not the symbol of our freedom.”
Rahul accused the RSS chief of disrespecting the Constitution and questioned the legitimacy of his comments.

5. “One is the idea of the Constitution, and the other is what the RSS is speaking of—centralized knowledge, centralized understanding.”
Drawing a stark contrast, Rahul Gandhi articulated the ideological battle between inclusive governance and centralized authoritarianism.

6. “India is a union of states. We have all the national languages there, equally placed together. There is no superior language, no inferior language; there is no superior culture, no inferior culture; no superior community, no inferior community.”
Reaffirming India’s unity in diversity, Rahul rejected hierarchical thinking promoted by certain ideologies.

7. “Unlike the Western world, which focuses on the outside, the Indian way of thinking is about understanding precisely who you are, where you have come from, and what your nature is.”
Rahul Gandhi invoked India’s spiritual traditions to underline the importance of introspection and self-awareness in leadership.

8. “Thousands of our workers died in Punjab, thousands of our workers died in Kashmir, and thousands of our workers died in the Northeast. This party has stood for a particular set of values, and we can see those values in this building.”
Rahul paid tribute to Congress workers who sacrificed their lives for the party’s vision of equality and justice.

9. “Mohan Bhagwat has the audacity to inform the citizens every two or three days what he thinks about the independence movement, what he thinks about the Constitution.”
Taking a dig at the RSS chief, Rahul questioned his authority to reinterpret India’s history and constitutional framework.

10. “This building symbolizes our values. Look inside, and you’ll see Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, chief ministers, governors, and workers who saluted the tricolor and served the Constitution of our country.”
Rahul concluded by tying the new headquarters to Congress’s historical legacy and its enduring dedication to the nation.

The new headquarters is named Indira Gandhi Bhawan, honoring India’s first woman Prime Minister.Over 400 leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, CWC members, and state representatives, attended the event.