Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will not attend today’s Gandhi Bharat event in Belagavi, Karnataka, due to health issues. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed the same.
“Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to attend the event but had to return from the airport due to health issues. I wish him a speedy recovery,” he said.
The event commemorates the centenary of the historic 1924 Congress session in Belagavi. Originally scheduled for December 27, 2024, the event was postponed following the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The event, themed ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’, will proceed with other prominent Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The program includes unveiling a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, followed by a public meeting at the CPED grounds.
Speaking about its significance, Siddaramaiah said: “Mahatma Gandhi presided over only the Belagavi session of the Congress, where he played a pivotal role in igniting the spirit of Independence. His ideologies of non-violence, women’s empowerment, and rural development remain timeless and relevant.”
Addressing the ideological significance of the event, Siddaramaiah remarked: “Even in his final moments, Gandhi said ‘Hey Ram’. He was a true Hindu who sought religious reform and envisioned a future for the country alongside its independence.”
Siddaramaiah also spoke about Gandhi’s Hindutva. “We firmly believe in Gandhi’s Hindutva, which stands in stark contrast to the BJP’s ideology rooted in ‘Manuvaad’. The BJP has consistently attempted to weaken the Constitution, but such attempts must not be allowed under any circumstances,” he said.
with inputs from PTI