The Congress has decided to hold yearlong celebrations to commemorate India’s 75th year of Independence, stressing the need to protect the country from “despotic and autocratic individuals and organisations” that are undermining the constitutional scheme.

“Despotic and autocratic individuals and organisations, majority of whom then had sided with the British and opposed the freedom movement, continue to challenge the very foundation of our polity and democracy,” a statement from Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said on Monday.

“Undermining individual freedoms, perpetuating social injustice, subverting institutional autonomy, creating caste and religious divides and compromising the very fundamentals of our Constitution and nationhood are their overt and covert agenda. Today, the onus lies upon each one of us to preserve and protect this freedom.”

With India completing 75 years of Independence on August 15 next year, the Congress has decided to form committees in every state to conduct celebratory events. The plan for the celebrations was discussed at a meeting on Sunday.

Next Saturday, August 14, the party will honour freedom fighters and their families, and all the district Congress committees will organise a “freedom march”. All the state units have been asked to prepare a two-minute video for a social media campaign highlighting the milestones of the freedom movement relating to their state.

The Narendra Modi government too plans yearlong celebrations, titled “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”. While Prime Minister Modi heads the national committee that is planning the celebrations, home minister Amit Shah heads the implementation committee.

A few Congress members too are part of these committees but it has proved almost impossible to draw up a collective plan because of conflicting perceptions about the freedom movement as well as nationalism.

The Congress, which regularly castigates the RSS for not taking part in the independence movement, believes the values that evolved through the freedom struggle and were manifested in the Constitution are being violated wantonly by the Modi government.

The Congress has used the anniversary of the Quit India call — sounded on August 9, 1942 — to target the Modi government, asking “hate, intolerance and injustice” to quit India.

One of the many messages posted by the party on Twitter said: “The hate that is plaguing our nation is causing irrevocable change to the fabric of our society. It is the duty of every citizen to fight this hate with love.”

While milestones of the freedom movement have never been part of the BJP’s consciousness and its official Twitter handle made no mention of August Kranti Day, Modi did say the “Quit India” call sounded by Mahatma Gandhi had energised the youth. He also paid homage to the freedom fighters.

Culture minister G. Kishan Reddy had on Sunday inaugurated an exhibition on the Quit India Movement, where he said: “This is a moment to not only recognise the contribution of a generation in freeing our nation from colonial powers but also to recognise those who played a pivotal role in preserving our civilisation heritage for more than 750 years. There are many unsung heroes who need to be recognised for the selfless services they rendered to Bharat Mata.”

Such stark differences in outlook have militated against a meeting ground even on the question of how India won Independence, primarily because the RSS-BJP would not like to give credit to the Congress.

While Venugopal’s statement makes it clear that the Congress’s yearlong campaign will centre on the sombre idea of diminishing democracy, Modi struck a breezy note. He asked people to use the occasion to ponder over what kind of India they want by 2047, when the country will mark a century of Independence.

Another layer of this difference in perspective was manifested on Monday when Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot asked Modi to reconsider the plan to redevelop the Sabarmati Ashram.

“The Gujarat government’s decision to construct a museum by demolishing the ashram is shocking and uncalled for,” Gehlot said.

“People come to visit this holy site to see how Gandhi lived a simple life and yet orchestrated an enormous freedom movement by taking along every section of society, particularly at a time when society was extremely divided.”

Gehlot added: “Destroying the sanity and dignity of the ashram is a disrespect to the Father of the Nation. It seems the decision is driven by a political motive to change everything that is related to Gandhi.”