Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President, BY Vijayendra, announced that the party will stage a protest on December 27 in Bengaluru against the Congress Working Committee (CWC) convention taking place in Belagavi. The BJP claims the event is being funded by taxpayers’ money from Karnataka and has raised concerns about the allocation of public resources for the Congress gathering.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Vijayendra stated, “The BJP will hold a protest near the Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Friday to oppose the Congress convention being conducted in Belagavi.” He further accused the Congress of conducting the event using the hard-earned tax money of the people of Karnataka.
The Congress convention in Belagavi has drawn criticism from the BJP, with Vijayendra urging the public to stand against the misuse of state resources for a political gathering. The BJP President emphasized that the convention’s funding should be transparent and not come from taxpayers’ pockets.
In response to the BJP’s criticism, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the convention, stating that the CWC meeting was organized to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Congress session. CM Siddaramaiah explained, “To commemorate the 100 years of the 1924 Congress session, the AICC decided to hold the CWC meeting in Karnataka, under the chairmanship of Mallikarjun Kharge.”
The two-day CWC meeting, being held in Belagavi, saw the arrival of several key Congress leaders. Notably, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, attended the meeting on Thursday. Rahul Gandhi’s presence underlined the significance of the gathering.
Congress leader Sowmya Reddy, also present at the event, spoke of the historical significance of the meeting, especially for the Mahila Congress. She highlighted the party’s longstanding commitment to women’s rights and empowerment, pointing out that Congress was the first to introduce 33% reservation for women at the gram panchayat level. Reddy said, “It is a proud moment for all of us from Mahila Congress to be here. The Congress party has always prioritized women.”
As the BJP plans its protest, the political discourse surrounding the convention in Belagavi continues to heat up, with both parties fiercely defending their positions on the event’s purpose and funding.
Sources By Agencies