New Delhi, Jan 30: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on Martyrs’ Day, describing his philosophy as a timeless moral compass and stressing the enduring relevance of truth, non-violence and courage in present-day India.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said Mahatma Gandhi symbolised a way of thinking that powerful forces across history had attempted—but failed—to suppress. Writing in Hindi, he said Gandhi’s ideas survived empires, hatred and authoritarianism, remaining deeply embedded in the nation’s conscience.
Rahul Gandhi added that along with freedom, the Father of the Nation gifted India a foundational moral principle—that truth outweighs authority and that non-violence and courage are stronger than fear and force.
Echoing these views, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Gandhi’s philosophy could never be erased as it lives on in the soul of India. Paying tribute on the Mahatma’s death anniversary, she said his ideas remain inseparable from the country’s moral and democratic ethos.
Priyanka Gandhi also cited Gandhi’s belief in participatory democracy, quoting him as saying that true democracy can exist only when every individual’s life is secure and free.
The tributes come amid ongoing political debates over nationalism, dissent and democratic freedoms, with the Congress leadership increasingly invoking Gandhian values of satya, ahimsa and moral courage as guiding principles for public life.
Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948. Leaders across the political spectrum observe the day each year to honour his contribution to India’s freedom struggle and to reflect on the continuing relevance of his ideals in modern India.