The ceremony commemorated the centenary of MK Gandhi’s historic assumption of Congress leadership in December 1924.
Published Jan 21, 2025 | 1:52 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 21, 2025 | 1:52 PM
Congress leaders unveil a statue of MK Gandhi in Belagavi (Supplied)
Senior Congress leaders unveiled a statue of MK Gandhi at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi in Karnataka, on Tuesday, 21 January, commemorating the centenary of his historic assumption of Congress leadership in December 1924.
The ceremony drew prominent Congress figures including Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Home Minister G Parameshwara, and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Rahul Gandhi was notably absent due to illness.
Siddaramaiah emphasised Belagavi’s unique place in Gandhi’s political journey, reminding attendees that it was in the city where Gandhi assumed Congress presidency.
“It was a historic presidency. It was his first and last. We cannot forget that it was in Karnataka and in Belagavi that he assumed the leadership and that day he spread enthusiasm and lit a fire for freedom. In his speech that day, he espoused ahimsa, truth, equality, rural development and many more, especially women’s empowerment,” he said.
ಎಐಸಿಸಿ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರು ಹಾಗೂ ರಾಜ್ಯಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ವಿರೋಧ ಪಕ್ಷದ ನಾಯಕರಾದ @kharge ಅವರು ಬೆಳಗಾವಿಯ ಸುವರ್ಣಸೌಧದ ಅವರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹಾತ್ಮ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ ಅನಾವರಣಗೊಳಿಸಿದರು.
ಎಐಸಿಸಿ ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿಗಳಾದ @priyankagandhi, @kcvenugopalmp, @rssurjewala, ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳಾದ @siddaramaiah,
ಕೆಪಿಸಿಸಿ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರು ಹಾಗೂ ಉಪ… pic.twitter.com/DPXFWUtJUS— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) January 21, 2025
The chief minister then proceeded to criticise the Opposition BJP for the historical revisionism of Gandhi’s legacy.
Chief Minister Siddaramiah, Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge, Karnataka Assembly speaker UT Khader at the ceremony. (Supplied)
He said, “BJP has always termed him as an opposer of Hindus, and that is a complete lie. Gandhi was someone who used to chant Sri Ram’s name all the time. Even when he was dying, when he was shot by Nathuram Godse, he was chanting ‘Hey Ram, Hey Ram.'”
“There is no other example needed to prove that he was a devout Hindu. Gandhi never opposed the Hindu religion but desired reforms. He envisaged for all of us, Hindus and Muslims, to live like brothers.”
He continued, “Throughout his life, he not only brought freedom to this country, he had envisaged how a government should be, how government ministers should be, how the country should look in the future and had strived to impart that vision onto the people.
“But the fact that Godse, a religious bigot, shot him dead is unforgettable.
“The BJP is a party that provokes conflict between communities, religions and castes. They are Manuvaadis, and I can assert that fact at this moment.”
Siddaramaiah further asserted that the Congress party was the one upholding the vision of both Gandhi and BR Ambedkar amidst what he termed as BJP efforts to weaken the constitutional fabric of the nation.
“Throughout history, one can see that numerous thinkers and social reformers have condemned the caste system and have worked hard to reform it. It was the same that Baba Saheb Ambedkar did with the Constitution,” he said.
“We, the Congress party, are with the Constitution, and the BJP is against us. For this reason, we need to protect the Constitution, and if we protect it, it protects us.
“The BJP has been trying hard to weaken the Constitution for years, and we should never let that happen.
“Today we have unveiled Gandhi’s statue here, and the intention behind it is so that future generations can look up to him and his vision, his teachings and ideology, and understand it and take it forward. This statute is for us to introspect within ourselves.”
Similarly, Karnataka Assembly Speaker UT Khader said that the best way to realise Gandhi’s vision for the country was to realise the values that the Constitution espoused.
“If Gandhi’s vision for India was to be realised, the values espoused by Dr BR Ambedkar’s Constitution should be followed by every citizen of the country. One of Gandhi’s biggest traits was his ability to look upon even the lowliest of humans with the utmost kindness and humanity. He espoused unity in diversity and harmony,” he said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda.)
