Kochi (Kerala) [India], January 19 : Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi on Monday urged the public not to remain silent, stating that an "idea of greed" is embedded in the "culture of silence."
Rahul Gandhi conferred the Priyadarshini Literary Award by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee to M Leelavathy in Kalamassery.
Addressing the gathering in Kochi, the Congress leader said, "All over the country, we see people who believe something but don't have the courage to say it. But great nations are not built in silence. Great nations, great people are built when they express their views and opinions, and fight for them. Embedded in the culture of silence is also the idea that greed: it does not matter what is happening as long as I am getting what I need. I don't need to say anything. I can watch people being humiliated, people being murdered, people being killed. As long as I'm okay, everything is okay. That culture of greed."
The Lok Sabha LoP also met the party's elected local body representatives in Marine Drive, Kochi.
In a post on X, Congress said, "LoP Rahul Gandhi received a warm welcome from party leaders and workers at the Cochin airport, Kerala."
The Kerala Assembly's Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan, AICC General Secretary Venugopal and other party leaders are also present at the Mahapanchayat.
According to Congress leader Shafi Parambil, the Mahapanchayat "serves as the unofficial launch of the Congress party's election process for the upcoming Legislative Assembly polls."
Kerala is set to hold Assembly polls later this year, in which Congress, leading the UDF alliance, will seek to dethrone the CPI(M)-led LDF coalition government.
Meanwhile, on January 20, Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit his parliamentary constituency, Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, to take part in a public meeting under Congress's 'MGNREGA Bachao' initiative against the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025.