Sonia Gandhi, the former president of the Congress, launched a blistering attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the podium of the 84th Congress Plenary at New Delhi on Saturday.

Addressing the gathering of Congress leaders and supporters from across the country in Hindi, Gandhi raised questions and fired accusations against the saffron party which has been at the Centre since 2014.

“I am extremely saddened that the Modi government is weakening and ignoring the schemes and policies undertaken for the growth of the nation by the Congress,” she said at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

“Arrogant and hungry for power, they have been openly using ‘saam’, ‘daam’, ‘dand’, ‘bhed’ to wipe out the Congress. But Congress will never cower,” she declared as former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Rahul Gandhi looked on.

The 71-year-old leader vowed that her party will continue to expose Modi government’s tyranny and accused the BJP-led Centre for disrespecting the Parliament, polarising the society, targeting Opposition leaders with fake cases and harassing the media.

“People have understood that ’Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’, ‘Main Na Khaunga Na Khane Dunga’ were dramebazi (theatrics) and ploy to garb votes,” she thundered while highlighting the two major slogans of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Urging the Congress workers and leaders to shed their personal aspirations and work together for the sake of the party, Gandhi praised Congress workers in states where the party is not in power for their relentless struggle to expose the wrongs of the ruling government.

“The party’s victory will be the victory of the nation,” she said adding, “Congress is not just a political party but a progressive thought. It has always been a movement. It has been an integral part of the nation for the last 133 years because people can see an image of India’s culture in it.”

Reminding the gathering of Indira Gandhi’s victory in Chikmagalur in Karnataka in 1978, Gandhi said that the victory of the former prime minister that changed India’s politics.

“I am hopeful that Congress’ performance in Karnataka will give a new direction to nation’s politics,” she said referring to the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka.

Before lashing out at the BJP, Sonia congratulated and thanked her son Rahul for holding the reins of the party in a difficult time and said that the party will reach new heights under his leadership.

“Today a new chapter of the Congress party has begun. We need to build a nation that provides for every citizen. Every Congress member will dedicate their life to take this nation to great heights,” Gandhi said.