Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi to attend 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Sanvidhan' convention in Belagavi

'We have not been issued any gag orders by the party not to speak on party issues on public forum and we too take care that any of our statements do not embarrass the party', Jarkiholi said.

Belagavi: Public Works Department and District Incharge Minister Satish Jarkiholi said that more than 2 lakh Congress party workers would attend the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Sanvidhan’ convention organised on January 21 (Tuesday) as part of Gandhi Bharat programme to mark centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the Congress session held here in 1924. AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will attend.

Jarkiholi told reporters at airport here on Thursday that the programmes were the same as scheduled earlier, but had to be postponed. Statue of Mahatma Gandhi will be unveiled in the premises of Suvarna Vidhan Soudha on Tuesday at 10.30 and its a government programme. It will be followed by convention which was Congress party programme.

AICC General Secretary Incharge of State Randeep Surjewala will visit the city and hold meetings with leaders from Belagavi and Chikkodi districts regarding the convention and later proceed towards other districts on Saturday, he said.

Speaking on the row over KPCC chief, Jarikholi said he never demanded that the president should be changed, but has been consistent with the statement that any decision in this regard would be taken by the high command and we are not the authority. "We have not been issued any gag orders by the party not to speak on party issues on public forum and we too take care that any of our statements do not embarrass the party," he said.

Jarkiholi added, "During the Congress Legislature Party I asked the leadership to acknowledge contribution of all the leaders from the district who have given their contribution for the construction of Congress district office instead of one of them. "

"Former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi when he was in Congress had contributed for the party office and I brought that too to the notice of Surjewala. There were no confusions in the party. We want all to get credit for their contributions," he added.