Cong to decide 2025 action plan, take up Ambedkar 'insult' issue at Belagavi CWC meet

 In a bid to get battle-ready for challenges ahead, the Congress will decide on an action plan for the next year at its CWC meeting named 'Nav Satyagraha Baithak' being held in Karnataka's Belagavi to mark the 100th anniversary of the Belgaum session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.

The opposition party asserted that the "insult" to B R Ambedkar by Home Minister Amit Shah will be taken up for deliberation at Belagavi and that there will be a "strong follow-up" on the issue.

Addressing a joint press conference along with Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal and AICC media and publicity department head Pawan Khera, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on December 26 has been named 'Nav Satyagraha Baithak' which would see two resolutions being passed.

Ramesh said the Congress is marking the current week as the 'Ambedkar Samman Saptah' against the "insult" of B R Ambedkar by Home Minister Shah.

He said there is only one solution to the issue which is that the home minister be sacked and must apologise for his remarks.

Ramesh said that on December 27, a 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' rally will be held in Belagavi.

The Congress general secretary alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP want to change the Constitution and are acting contrary to its spirit.

"When Prime Minister Modi became an MP and entered Parliament, he prostrated on the steps. The result is that the old Parliament building was abandoned and new building was inaugurated. On November 26 this year, the PM prostrated on the original copy of the Constitution, which means a new Constitution will be brought," Ramesh claimed.

"They (BJP) do not want the Constitution. The RSS has opposed the Constitution since November 26, 1949...Constitution principles and institutions are being attacked with attempts to make institutions such as the EC being made an attached office of the home minister," he alleged.

Ramesh also lashed out at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent statement about not raising 'mandir-masjid' disputes, terming it as "double standards".

At the presser, Venugopal said the Congress has strongly taken up the issue of the "insult" of Ambedkar by the home minister and has been demanding the sacking of Shah as well as an apology from him.

He said the issue would be strongly taken up in Belagavi and ways to take it forward in the future will also be deliberated upon.

"Over the last week, Congress party workers all over India have been participating in agitation. Today, all District Committees are doing demonstrations and will be submitting a memorandum to the President of India through the district collectors, demanding the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah," Venugopal said.

The BJP and Modi government have completely rejected the values of the Constitution and to oppose this, there's a natural response from the ground, he said.

"The country expects that the home minister will apologize, but they are consistently humiliating the legacy of Babasaheb Ambedkar. They are destroying the value of the Constitution, and undermining the electoral process. So we will have a detailed discussion in Belagavi, and there will be follow-up on this issue," Venugopal said.

The working committee meeting will take place in the same venue where Mahatma Gandhi assumed the presidency of the Indian National Congress in 1924, he said, adding that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee has completed all arrangements for the historic session.

He noted that Mahatma Gandhi's presidential address in Belagavi focused on non-violence, non-cooperation as a means to attain political freedom, removing untouchability, promoting unity between communities, addressing socio-economic disparities, and reinforcing the principles of justice and equality.

"About 200 leaders, including CWC members, permanent invitees, special invitees, central election committee members, Pradesh Congress Committee members, CLP leaders of the state, parliamentary party office bearers, and former party chief ministers will attend the historic session," he said.

At 2:30 pm on December 26, the 'Nav Satyagrah Baithak' will commence at Mahatma Gandhi Nagar and on December 27, the 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bheem, Jai Samvidhan' rally will be held in Belagavi at 11:30 am, Venugopal said.

Members of Parliament from the Congress party, AICC functionaries, and lakhs of Congress workers will participate in the rally at Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, he said.

The CWC meeting will discuss an action plan and programme for the Congress for the upcoming year, with two resolutions, he said.

Sources said one resolution will be a political one and the second will be on the importance of the session.

Venugopal said the meeting will deliberate the critical challenges facing the nation under BJP rule, including economic "inequality", "erosion" of democracy, and "attacks" on constitutional institutions.

This will be one of the landmark programs of the Indian National Congress, he added.

Ramesh said, "A few years ago, a Chintan Shivir was held in Udaipur, from which the decision of 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' came out. It is hoped that some historic decisions will also come out from Belgaum."

The 39th session of the Indian National Congress was held at Belgaum (now called Belagavi, Karnataka) in 1924 and it was the only Congress session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.