Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi exhorted Congress leaders and workers of Jharkhand on Tuesday to work incessantly to consolidate the pluralistic ethos of Indian society.

In an online address from Delhi to over 1,000 party workers congregated at the Jain pilgrimage centre of Madhuban in Giridih, Rahul said, "As I pointed out during my address in Parliament that India is a union of states and each and every state, including Jharkhand, has it’s own significance, so as Congress workers, it is our duty to protect the unique characteristic of the state where people of different religions, caste, creed, rich, poor, small and big businessman live together in perfect unison since centuries.”

“We have to protect the DNA of the state which is under attack from the BJP and RSS as they are working to impose the Nagpur school of thought,” Rahul said on the concluding day of the party's three-day brainstorming (chintan shivir) session in Jharkhand.

“They will try to impose their thought in schools and educational institutions of the state but our effort should be directed to maintain the pluralistic feature of Jharkhand society and we will later on inculcate this pluralistic feature at the Union level as our country is a union of states,” he said.

“When such forces try to divide society in the name of caste, creed and religion, it is our duty to fight them by consolidating the strong foundation of the party in the state by including youth and other people as Congress believes in a democratic ideology."

Exhorting ministers and senior leaders of the party, in an alliance government in Jharkhand, to take into confidence common workers, Rahul said, “Ministers of our party in government have the responsibility to make common workers believe that the government is theirs, and if they work in isolation, they may be thrown out by the same workers.”

He further advised senior party leaders to provide opportunities to all persons who believe in the Congress ideology of pluralism to work for the party, irrespective of whether they are senior or junior leaders.

“I know that the work of propagating such ideology is not easy as you will be under attack and I would like to throw my full weight and strength behind you... I will be available for meetings or visits whenever you call me in Jharkhand,” Rahul said.