'Secularism, free speech' in danger: Sonia Gandhi attacks BJP-RSS

In a veiled attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Congress President Sonia Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha today, that there are some organizations in the country which have no role in the freedom struggle and had vehemently opposed the Quit India Movement.

Speaking on the 75th anniversary of Quit India Movement, Sonia said, "We must not forget that some organizations opposed Quit India Movement. Such organisations have no role in freedom struggle."

Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, she said the politics of hatred and revenge is prevailing in the country which has left no place for open debate and discussion.

"Today it looks secularism and free speech are in danger: There is politics of divide; if we have to preserve freedom, we'll have to defeat forces endangering it," she added.

Recounting the freedom struggle of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other Congress leaders, Sonia said, "During freedom struggle, Pandit Nehru spent several years in jail, many Congress workers died in jail. A lot of atrocities were committed on the protesters during the Quit India Movement but no one stepped back."

Earlier in the day, observing the 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the nation to make India free from poverty, corruption, terrorism, casteism, communalism and to create a 'New India' by 2022.

The Prime Minister took to his Twitter handle to praise the sacrifices of all the bravehearts who were part of the movement to free India from the British rule.

"On the 75th anniversary of the historic Quit India movement, we salute all the great women & men who took part in the movement (sic)," he tweeted.

"Let us pledge to free India from poverty, dirt, corruption, terrorism, casteism, communalism & create a 'New India' of our dreams by 2022 (sic)," he added.

Prime Minister Modi appealed to the people to create a nation on which the country's freedom fighters would be proud of.

"In 1942, the need of the hour was to free India from colonialism. Today, 75 years later the issues are different (sic)," he tweeted.

"Let us work shoulder to shoulder to create the India that our freedom fighters would be proud of. #SankalpSeSiddhi (sic)," he added.

He also praised Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi for launching and leading this campaign which helped India to gain freedom.

"Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, the entire nation came together with the aim of attaining freedom (sic)," he tweeted.

The nation is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement.

A number of events are being planned at organisational and local levels to mark the occasion.

This year's theme is "Sankalp se Siddhi- the attainment through resolve.

The Quit India Movement was an important milestone in the Indian freedom struggle. Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, people across India came together to uproot imperialism.