On the 150th anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday launched a veiled attack on the ruling BJP saying that said those who consider themselves supreme and indulge in the politics of falsehood will not understand Mahatma Gandhi’s sacrifices and ideals.

Sonia Gandhi told party workers and leaders at Raj Ghat that the Mahatma’s soul would be “pained” by what has been happening in India in the last few years.

She said Mahatma Gandhi is the symbol of India “but those who want RSS to become India’s symbol will not understand what Gandhiji thought about multiculturalism.”

In what appeared to be a swipe at the present BJP leadership, Sonia Gandhi said, “those who are doing politics of falsehood will not understand that Gandhiji was worshipper of truth and non violence. Those who want all the powers in their hands, will not understand what Gandhiji thought about Swarajya.”

Emphasising that “it’s not easy to follow the footsteps of Gandhiji”, the Congress leader said, “This is not the first time that people, using the name of Gandhiji, want to take everyone towards their own direction. Now they are using every means to do this. But the foundation of Gandhiji’s ideology is so strong that they will not succeed.”

She was addressing the party gathering after a ‘padayatra’, led by Rahul Gandhi, to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s anniversary.

Sonia Gandhi also administered an oath on Gandhi’s ideals to party workers on the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Addressing the gathering in Hindi, she said no matter what others might claim, only the Congress has followed the path of Gandhi and has provided jobs, education and facilities to farmers, accomplishments which are unparalleled. “India and Gandhi are synonymous. Yet some people want RSS to be synonymous with India,” she said, adding that India has arrived at its present state due to Mahatma Gandhi.

The ‘Gandhi Sandesh Yatra’ began from Delhi Congress office at Rouse  Avenue and culminated at Rajghat, a distance of about three kms. The march was accompanied by a truck, on which was mounted a big spinning wheel. A Congress leader said it symbolised the importance of Khadi and ‘charkha’ in the freedom movement. Scores of party leaders and workers participated in the march, which was earlier supposed to be led by Sonia Gandhi.

The party organised padyatras across the country on Wednesday to spread the message of Gandhian ideology.Leading a march in Lucknow, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said, “Mahatma Gandhi taught truth. BJP should follow it first.”

(With agency inputs)