Wayanad, Oct 23, 2024 speech
Priyanka Gandhi said this while giving her debut speech as a candidate, minutes before she filed her papers as the Congress nominee from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.
“This is a new journey for me and you are my guides. For me it’s my responsibility too. You are the symbol of trust between my family and you. I have been a mother of two children before entering politics. The one thing I want my children to know is the difficulties I faced. I was there with them whenever they needed me.
“You are also my family and I want you to know the same. I am there to fight for you and I will fight your battles and will not let you down. I thank you from the core of my heart for accepting me as the UDF candidate,” said Priyanka Gandhi in her speech which was greeted by a roar.
A massive crowd was waiting for her, former Congress Presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at the venue of the public meeting from early morning.
Priyanka Gandhi dressed in a blue saree was eloquent as always and traced her political journey.
“I campaigned for the first time when I was 17-years-old, for my father in 1989 and since then I have done it for my mother and brother,” she said.
As she said this, a commotion broke out when Sonia Gandhi arrived on the dais and it took a while for things to settle down as this was her first visit to the state after a decade.
After a pause, Priyanka Gandhi said, “This is the first time she is campaigning for me. It’s a very different feeling. I am deeply grateful to the Congress President for making me the UDF candidate. It’s my honour to represent you, if you give me the chance.”
“A few months ago I visited Mundakkai and Churalmala with my brother and saw the devastation with my eyes. I saw children who lost their entire family, mothers who lost their children, met people whose entire belongings were washed away in the landslide. I was struck by one thing, each and every person was trying to help another person,” said Priyanka Gandhi.
“They supported each other without grief and commitment and empathy. Your spirit of bravery has deeply touched me. To be part of your community, to be part of your family is a great privilege and honour for me,” said Priyanka Gandhi.
“We live in strange times. We live in a time where those who are in power, will spread hatred, dividing people. We live in times where those who are in power want to remain in power using even criminal means.
“This was not what our nation was built on and the values of the Independence movement led by Gandhi ji is not what is happening now. We learnt Satyamev Jayate and all the religious teachings that centered around our movement of Independence. The Buddhist ideology, these are the values we are fighting for. For truth, justice and equality. These are the values which helped my brother to walk 8,000 kms across the country. He could not have done this without your support,” added Priyanka Gandhi.
“My sisters and brothers you stood by my brother when the whole world stood with their backs against him. My whole family will be always grateful for this. I know he is sad to leave you, I have promised him that I will strengthen the bond between him and you.
“He has explained to me the large issues that you are all facing, issue of medical college, night traffic ban, man-animal conflict. I want to come to your houses to find out the issues you face,” Priyanka Gandhi said.(Agency)
