The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Congress decides to hold `counter meetings'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 31, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Congress decides to hold `counter meetings'

Special Correspondent

`Only Gandhian ideology will help solve country's problems'

BANGALORE: The Congress has decided to hold public meetings to create awareness among the people about the "hidden agenda" of the Sangh Parivar in holding Viraat Hindu Samajotsava.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the party leaders on Monday. While the date for launching the meetings is yet to be finalised, party sources said that the meetings were likely to be held after the legislature session. The meetings would be held at the block, assembly constituency and district levels.

The emergency meeting was held soon after Janata Dal (S) president H.D. Deve Gowda stated that his party would organise rallies to counter the influence of the Viraat Hindu Samajotsava.

Martyr's Day

Participating in a function to observe Martyr's Day at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office in Bangalore on Tuesday, Congress leader Siddaramaiah ridiculed Mr. Deve Gowda's claim that he would protect secularism by holding parallel rallies.

He blamed Mr. Deve Gowda for helping the BJP taste power in the State. Sharing power with the Janata Dal (S) had helped the BJP in organising the Viraat Hindu Samajotsava on a large scale. Mr. Deve Gowda's opposition to the samajotsava was "false", he said and added that the former Prime Minister believed in "pseudo secularism."

It was only the Congress that had the moral right to hold counter rallies to expose the "hidden agenda" of the Sangh Parivar, he said.

He appealed to the party leaders to come out openly against the samajotsava without fearing that they might lose Hindu votes.

Mr. Siddaramaiah criticised the organisers of the samajotsava for using the portraits of social reformers such as Swami Vivekananda, Basaveshwara, Kanakadasa and B.R. Ambedkar during the rallies. They were trying to mislead people by using the portraits, he said.

He sought to remind the communal forces that it was not possible to resolve any problem through acts of terrorism and hatred. Only Gandhian ideology could provide a solution to the problems gripping the country, he said.

Former chairman of the Legislative Council B.L. Shankar said the State was being ruled by casteist and communal forces. It was a challenge for the Congress to free the State from the clutches of such forces, he said.

Former Minister Rani Satish referred to the racist remarks against actor Shilpa Shetty in the Celebrity Big Brother show and said that it showed that the evil spirit of untouchability was still prevalent despite Mahatma Gandhi's fight against the social taboo.

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