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Congress Launches ‘Donate for Desh’ Campaign for 2024 Election

© AP Photo / Mahesh Kumar A.Indian Congress members and supporters celebrate after India's Union Cabinet approved the creation of a new state “Telangana” in Hyderabad, India, Friday, Oct. 4, 2013.
Indian Congress members and supporters celebrate after India's Union Cabinet approved the creation of a new state “Telangana” in Hyderabad, India, Friday, Oct. 4, 2013. - Sputnik India, 1920, 18.12.2023
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The move aims to collect funds for the party ahead of the general election. According to the party, it is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s similar campaign in 1920.
India's Congress Party launched a nationwide crowdfunding campaign called “Donate for Desh” (Donate for Country) on Monday to generate resources for the party ahead of the 2024 general election.
The campaign was launched by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi. Kharge donated INR 138,000 ($1,660) and urged people to support the efforts of the party to build a “better India”.
“It's the first time Congress is asking people for donations for the nation. If you work only by depending on the rich people, then you have to follow their policies. Mahatma Gandhi also took donations from the public during the freedom struggle,” Kharge said while launching the campaign.
He also highlighted Congress' purported commitment to the poorer sectors of the country.
“Our party has always been with the underprivileged, Dalits, adivasis, OBCs, minorities and upper castes. We want to help them. The initiative is to build the country with the help of common people,” the Congress chief stated.

Earlier on Saturday, while announcing the campaign during a press conference, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said that the initiative was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s historic “Tilak Swaraj Fund” which was launched in 1920 to collect INR 10 million ($120,460) to support India’s freedom struggle.

Under the program, people above 18 years of age can donate a minimum of INR 138 ($1.66) to mark the 138th anniversary of the Congress Party this year. It will be primarily online until December 28, the party's foundation day, afterwhich party volunteers will go door-to-door for contributions.
The party previously launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2018 ahead of the 2019 general election, but it did not gain much momentum.

BJP Swipes at Congress’ Campaign

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the campaign, alleging it is “another attempt to siphon off public money and enrich the Gandhis."

“This campaign is just to divert the attention of the people from the corruption of the party. The party has money and there is an evident because more than INR 3,500 million ($42.2 million) has been recovered from one of their parliamentarians,” BJP spokesman Sardar R.P. Singh told Sputnik India.

He further said that even if the people of the country will donate to Congress then the money will be used to benefit the “dynasty”.

“The fund which will be collected through this campaign will be used to benefit one family in the similar way they transferred INR 900 million ($10.8 million) to Gandhi family in National Herald case,” Singh alleged.

Similar allegations were leveled by another BJP spokesman, Shehzad Poonawalla, during a press conference on Sunday.
He said that those who looted India for 60 years were now seeking donations from the same country.
“The Congress has started a 'Donate for Desh' campaign to deflect public attention from the unparalleled corruption in the party that has once again surfaced following the seizure of a huge amount of cash from its Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu,” he claimed.
The Parliament House New Delhi, India, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. - Sputnik India, 1920, 29.11.2023
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