Chintan Shivir: Rahul Gandhi says Congress's connection with people broken down, announces nationwide yatra

New Delhi: The Congress party's connection with the people of the country has broken down and it is imperative to revive it, senior leader Rahul Gandhi said on Sunday at the party's Chintan Shivir in Rajasthan's Udaipur. He said strengthening this connection will require hard work. He also announced a nationwide Congress yatra in October this year.

"We have to revive our connection with people and need to accept that it was broken down. We will strengthen it. This will not happen with any short-cut, it requires hard work," Gandhi was quoted by the news agency ANI as saying. 

"Congress will take out a nationwide yatra in October to strengthen its connection with people," he added.

Gandhi said senior Congress leaders have shown the party the direction and there is now clarity in terms of its policy, thinking and political positioning.

Taking a dig at the BJP-led central government, he said inflation will rise in the near future. He said attacks on the country's institutions were on the rise. 

"Aag lagegi (there will be fire)," he said, adding the party has to ensure "they" don't set the country on fire.

Gandhi said the 'one family, one ticket' rule will ensure several members of one family don't get to contest elections without working for the party.

Under the new rule, multiple members of a family cannot contest polls until they work actively for the Congress for at least five years.

"Our fight is for ideology. We have to go to the people and sit with them, the connection the party had with people has to be re-established. We have decided that the Congress party in October will go to the people and take out a yatra and strengthen the relationship with people," he said.

Asserting that India is a Union of States, Gandhi said, "It is critical for the union of the country that the states and the people are allowed to have a conversation. 

With inputs from ANI, PTI