The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Congress leaders in a quandary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 19, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Congress leaders in a quandary

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: The virtual bar imposed by the Congress on its members attending the conventions of backward classes, minorities and Dalits has placed the leaders who were till now active in organising them, in a quandary.

The AICC General Secretary in charge of the State, A.K. Antony, who attended a meeting of the party-Government coordination committee on Wednesday night where the decision on the bar was taken, left for New Delhi on Thursday. The coordination committee consists of the Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President M. Mallikarjun Kharge, C.K. Jaffer Sharief, D.B. Chandre Gowda and Shymanur Shivashankarappa.

Though the order restraining the party workers from being active in what is being called the AHIND movement was not announced in so many words, a resolution was adopted stating that party workers should not do anything that would damage the unity, culture and ideology of the Congress and should not become pawns in the games of other political parties.

The bar applies in particular to the convention to be held in Tumkur on Saturday.

The KPCC has told its members associated with the federation that they have to choose between the Rajiv Gandhi-Devaraj Urs birth anniversary celebration it is organising on Saturday and the Tumkur convention. The Congress function is being held at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall, here.

However, some Congress leaders active in the AHIND movement such as R.L. Jalappa and H. Vishwanath are firm on attending the Tumkur meet.

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