Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar addressing a press conference in Belagavi on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The mega public meeting to be held in Belagavi on December 27, as part of event to mark 100 years of the Belagavi (then Belgaum) Congress convention, chaired by Mahatma Gandhi, will be named ‘Jai Bapu-Jai Bhim-Jai Samvidhan’ convention, Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar has said.
This and the other events, part of the two-day celebrations in Belagavi on December 26 and 27, seek to create awareness about the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Ambedkar to the Indian ethos and the need to preserve and protect the Constitution and its values, he said.
The centenary celebrations will be held throughout the year, including Gandhi Walk, on October 2.
BJP’s ‘evil design’
“In the name of praising Dr. Ambedkar, BJP leaders are insulting him. We will expose this evil design of the BJP in the Congress Working Committee meeting in Belagavi on Thursday,’‘ Mr. Shivakumar said, giving details of the other events planned.
“Members will deliberate on various issues plaguing the country. It will also chart the future course of protest against the insult of Dr Ambedkar by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other leaders,’‘ he added. The CWC meeting would be held in Veera Soudha December 26.
He said books in Kannada and English about the 1924 session would be released on Thursday. Inauguration of a new photo gallery and unveiling of a statue of Gandhiji on the Veera Soudha premises would be held in the morning. A khadi mela, inauguration of memorial hall in the name of freedom fighter Gangadhar Deshpande are among the other events planned.
Gandhi statue
“Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi would unveil the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Suvarna Soudha on December 27. The Chief Minister will preside over the event, accompanied by Legislative Speaker U.T. Khader and Legislative Council Chairman Basvaraj Horatti,” he said, adding leaders across party lines have been invited for the event.
Denying allegations by BJP MP Jagadish Shettar that it was a “Congress function”, he said, “it is not a party event. It is a national programme. It concerns every Indian.”
On Mr. Shettar’s complaint that the State government had not organised the centenary in association with the Centre, Mr. Shivakumar said: “We are doing this as part of our programme. Let the Union government organise its own programme if it values Gandhiji’s contribution to nation-building.”
Earlier in the day Mr. Shettar, had called it “waste of public money on a party programme”.
Published – December 25, 2024 08:46 pm IST